Kourtney Blickensdorfer
Psy-100
June 28, 2015
Amanda Laster-Loftus
Psychology for Life In life stress is everywhere, and we face it every day. Stress is handled at work wither it is a co-worker or customer, and we have to handle it appropriately to ensure our stress levels stay neutral. Stress is also encountered at home because of finances, relationships, and family. Most people do not handle stress well, but I think it is important to understand where your stress comes from, so that you can handle it accordingly. When I took my stress test I knew that I would not be happy with my score, so I was not surprised at all. I am a very high strung individual, and I am always in a hurry. I also take things to heart, so at previous jobs when people got upset with me or the company it upset me also. My stress assessment showed me that I am on the verge of major stress problems. It let me know that I need to slow down, and probably could use some quiet time for myself. I could also channel my stress into something productive. Stress impacts our bodies in different ways when we handle stressful situations like work, or good situations like winning an award. Stress effects the body by triggering the fight or flight response which in normal doses can improve performance. (Kotz 2008) When the body becomes stressed the hypothalamus tells the adrenal glands to release adrenaline or cortisol. Once the stress goes away the body releases hormones that tells it to go back to normal. The body also can be affected in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and this happens when your heart rate and breathing rises due to stress. I do have a new perspective on motivation, emotions, and stress. I have had a lot of problems with motivation when I am stressed. I usually do not want to participate in anything, and I get very tired. I find it hard to complete simple task like getting out of bed. My emotions end up confused as well I am always sad, and find it hard to be happy about things that I should be happy about. At one point I missed a lot of work because I knew that if I went I would be stressed more, so I lost motivation to go. Later I had to have medical help to get my life back on track, and was diagnosed with anxiety and slight depression. I receive medication at was put on medicine to correct the imbalance. I recently quit that job, and found something more suitable. Now I can handle life’s small stressors with tips to find something that keeps my mind on that particular task at that time like running, jogging, and swimming. (Eller 2010) Now I have personally found that dancing works best for me because I can have fun and be myself. In conclusion it is very important to understand stress and its symptoms. Stress can effect relations ship like after work you make take frustrations out on the family. Also if the stress becomes too intense especially at work it can affect your production at work. If you can pinpoint your symptoms when they come to light you need to know how to handle it. If you can handle your stress, and channel it productively your life will be much happier. It will also be less likely to affect your life negatively.

References
ELLER, D. (2010). EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT BEATING STRESS IS WRONG. Prevention, 62(12), 34-40.
Kotz, D. (2008). Relax! Stress, if Managed, Can Be Good for You. U.S. News & World Report, 144(17), 54.