Stress is a word that researchers say is hard to define. People know what stress is, but when different people try to put words to what stress is, the words often aren't the same. Stress to one person may be speaking in public. To another it may be sitting outside or going shopping.

One general definition is:

Stress is what you experience when you believe you cannot cope effectively with a threatening situation.

For some, that is a strange definition. Stress can be caused by irritations or more minor situations in our lives that many other don't consider threatening situations. The general definition is one that would suggest that the entire stress cycle is triggered.

Many people feel that there is a tipping point, a number of smaller stressors, or something small occurring repeatedly over which you have little control, could then escalate into triggering a full-blown activation of the stress cycle.

The stress cycle is a three-part cycle:

1. Activating Event
2. The Fight or Flight Response
3. The Recovery Phase

Many things cause the stress in our lives, and it is well known that stress causes stress. When things that cause stress happen over a long period of time, it is called Chronic Stress.

Things that can cause stress can be things like:

• Money (too much or too little)
• Time (not feeling like there is enough time or that there is too much time in a day)
• Trying too hard
• Not feeling heard
• Medical problems (cancer, chronic pain, psychiatric diagnoses, AIDS]
• Work (too hard, too much, too little, too easy, unemployed/underemployed, not enough pay for the work you do)
• Lack of control (to ward off stress or find your inner power)
• Anger, resentment, frustration, irritation and excitement
• “A woman's work is never done”
• Symptoms of mental illness [link to which is it page]
• Crowds of people
• Noise
• Lights
• Smells
• Lack of sleep
• And many other things.

The list of things that cause stress in our lives goes on and on.

Good events, things we have looked forward to, and really want, may cause just as much stress as things and events that we don't want to happen. Stress can affect our job performance, our relationships at work, our families and every aspect of our lives.

There is a life stress test that is pretty good. It includes a lot of things that cause stress in our lives. What it doesn't include are things that are unique to people who have a psychiatric diagnosis, things like:

• Feeling ignored in an emergency room
• Having a psychiatrist not listen to you
• Weight gain as a medication side effect
• Knowing that the population of people who are living a psychiatric diagnosis are dying 25 years early.

These types of things need to be considered when you are trying to evaluate how much stress you are under. Excess stress can cause a multitude of physical problems (increase in heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension.)

There are some things that you one can do to help maintain a lower stress level.

• Use humor, find things to laugh at. Watch a funny movie or read a funny book.
• Take control of what you can.
• Use more positive words.  Use positive affirmations and intentions.
• Try not to continually expect bad things to happen. Worry is stressful.
• Don't beat yourself up just because you are letting stress affect you.
• Watch your thinking. When we get stuck in ruts of negative thinking, it can cause stress.
• Learn to intentionally relax.

Learning coping skills is an important way to better enjoy life to the fullest.