Stress Effects In Life

I have learned that stress can really have harmful effects on your body and life. A couple of years ago I was in the middle of a very important project at work. With regard to work there was a lot riding on this particular project. In addition there was about 7 other work related events coming down the pipe which all needed to be addressed in the same period of time. Towards the end of that big rush I started getting intense abdominal pain.

At first I didn’t want to eat anything but then I found that when I ate it felt better. I thought without a doubt that I had developed an ulcer. I went to the emergency room later that evening to find out that I was affected by acid reflux. The stress in my life was raising the acid in my stomach and burning the lining away. I had to start taking Zantac to ease the immediate issue. My next step was to work on reducing the stress in my life.

I’m sure many people have had or seen similar occurrences in their own lives. You get so caught up in your work at your job you forget about what is really important. Think about it, why are you at your job anyway? Isn’t it to make money so that you can support your life outside of your work day? So that you can enjoy your life? However, so many people get immersed in their day to day routine that they forget what is really important.

I’m a computer engineer, so on a day to day basis I have to assist other people in completing their jobs. Making sure my clients can effectively use their computers and network system. Everyday I see how angry people get when they can’t do something as simple as print a document. I too would get caught up in this. I care so much about my job that I would feel the pain my client was feeling except it was redirected as pain in my stomach when the day was over. Is not being able to print something for a 10 minute period of time really worth all of the stress it brings outside of your workday? Little by little I have taught myself how to cope with the daily issues I am presented. I still provide my clients with good service and keep them running smoothly. However, I do not let myself get caught up in the stress like I once did. I feel the urgency of fixing the issues presented to me, but I continue to tell myself “this is just a job”. I know that I have a life to come home to at the end of the day. The only reason I work now is to provide for the family, as opposed to getting all worked up because I need to meet a deadline. I found that my health and happiness is more important than allowing the stress to take over my life. This doesn’t mean that I work any less, I work because I have to. It just means that I realize that it is just a job and I can’t let the stress hurt me anymore.

Since taking control of my stress the stomach issues have gone away and I do not need to take medicine anymore. In the end just realize that the important things in life should be taking care of your health and your family, try not to get stressed by your daily routine. Your health is worth more than that.

This is just one example of the negative effects that stress has on your life. Stress can adversely effect your health in many other ways. If you’re an American between the ages of 18 to 49, there's a 1-in-2 chance that you experience everyday stress. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 75-90% of all doctor visits are stress-related. It’s important to find a healthy way to deal with stress.

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