How does stress make you feel?

Question

I am doing a paper on describing an emotion. I choose stress, so can anyone please give me metaphors on stress or ideas in describing stress.

Answer 1

Biologically speaking, stress increases cortisol (a hormone). It has the physiological effects of raising your heart rate, making you more aware, going into "fight or flight" mode, increasing bloodflow to your organs, etc. It basically prepares you for action of some sort.

Stress doesn't have to be a bad thing. There are distresses or eustresses. Distress arises from negative events (aka things like PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder) or positive events. In the right amount for the right function, stress can give you a fighting edge. For example, the adrenaline rush when you're giving an oral argument or playing a game.

The best metaphor that I could find is on the first site below. Stress is good up to a point, but can be bad. So, radiation may cause cancer, but if it is controlled and used appropriately, it can actually fight cancer in some situations.

Answer 2

I suffer from migraines and have them mostly under control;however, Stress can bring one on faster than a bar a chocolate (which also gives me a migraine). If the stress is 'emotionally' induced --- like when our son, my mother died - or when my husband was diagnosed with cancer -- It will take several days to bring it on - and it will be with a horrible stomach ache and problems related to that, in addition to the migraine.

I work well under stress - believe it or not! - I get lots accomplished - but when the project or the work week is over - the body says: enough! and stress will show up maybe as a migraine (the doctor explained to me that it was like taking my body from 150 miles per hour of stress to 0 miles per hour and no stress - the body has not adjusted to the change - not gradal). So it 'wipes' me out.

However, sometimes I do not believe I am stressed (no pain associated with it), but my husband says I am stressed - because my behaviour changes - from laid back to temperamental. I don't lose my temper 95% of the time - but that 5% he swears to me that is stress induced.

Thru the years I have learned how to manage the stress - we all do, I believe, by: taking one day at a time, when I can (sometimes this is not realistically possible); by exercising (very hard to do....but I can tell when I need a good walk); by take a day where I won't even get out of PJ's - I call it my "I am on STRIKE day". Not sick - just need 'downtime' - to do nothing, or read, or catch up on movies I have been meaning to watch or needlepointing. Watching very carefully what I eat and drink. One day like this and I can actually feel myself de-stress. Maybe because I feel like I have 'cheated' and not done anything useful :) - that is okay.

Stress is most of the time self-induced, I think. At least for me. I am a type A personality-lists-timetables (for myself) - and when I don't get it done, I stress over it! Nobody to blame but myself.

I have never cried over stress - just felt tired, headache or stomach problems

I haven't read the two sources below - but I am including them to help you as your prepare your paper. Good luck.

Answer 3

Stress is an uncomfortable or worried feeling. Most of people experience stress from time to time. It occurs with pressure and worry which can be occurred from any where. So people experience sweaty hands, palms, dry mouth, heart races and in many different ways people feel the stress. I found some useful information at http://seahealth.org/anxiety

Answer 4

I think stress is an emotion in which your body is overwhlemed by what you are trying to accomplish or just your everday activity. It can make you feel aggravated, angry, frustrated, exhausted, sad, helpless and there are others. It means different things to different people.

You could describe it as an emotion that one experiences when they are overwhelmed by their circumstances. Then go on to state that everyone feels and expresses it differently and use what people on this site have given you as their examples of own personal experiences. Finally, you could add your own opinion of what you consider stress to be, how it makes you feel and you handle it. You could also look up the exact definiton and use this asa jumping off point.

But these are just my ideas and opinions.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

One thing about stress.... it affects you physically. When I get stressed, I get headaches and stomach aches and feel tired all the time. It wears your body down, and can seriously lead to medical conditions

Answer 6

it makes me feel depressed then i stop eating and about metaphors stress is a serial killer stalking you, it sneaks up at the worst oppertune moment to bite you in the butt

Answer 7

Stress makes me feel like i want to just get up and yell SCREW THE WORLD!! and then like do something drastic.
something that doesnt conform to society. or something dangerous.
I usually deal with it by blasting punk rock and playing violent video games till its out of my system.

Answer 8

stress makes me anxious, irritable, and tired. mostly though it causes pain. headaches, pain in the back of my neck and shoulders and sometimes chest pains. good luck on your paper

Answer 9

Check out (http://www.reducingstress.net ) there is a lot of great articles and expert advice on the subject there.

Answer 10

I don't get stressed. So I can't help u. lol