Moderating Factors of Stress
Stress is considered an emotion. The human body’s reaction to stress and contentment determines the difference between the two. In a contentment condition, the human body produces hormones that calm the muscle tissue and make the individual feel at peace with their surroundings. When stressed, the hormones are released to force the muscles to tense and the body and mind to prepare for danger.
Stress moderators are elements that lower stress in the human psyche. Stress moderators’ job is to relax the human brain and assist it in thinking through a stressful scenario. Stress moderators also reduce the negative effects of physiological stress.
Stress factors
Stress can motivate people to work harder, but it can also hurt the body if sustained for an extended period. The following are the negative consequences of stress on the human body:
- First, blood pressure in the body can rise due to stress.
- Stress can raise the likelihood of developing heart disease.
- Diabetes can be exacerbated by stress.
- Stress can drive people to develop aberrant eating habits, leading to an unhealthy physique and obesity.
- Stress also causes mental conditions such as depression, Alzheimer’s, dementia, brain tumours, anxiety, and others. (Cronkite & Moos, 1984).
- Stress changes hormone production, causing the individual to become irritable and agitated without any related stimuli.
- Stress can also cause irregular menstrual cycles.
- One of the causes of headaches and sexual issues is stress.
Other symptoms of chronic stress in the body include exhaustion and lethargy, a rise in stomach acid, a loss of focus, indigestion, sleeplessness, and more.
In response to a stressful situation, the human body produces chemicals known as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones allow the body to combat stressful circumstances. Releasing these hormones increases heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. In addition, the reaction time decreases as the body prepares for fight or flight.
How stress moderators help
Stress moderators are internal components such as abilities, behavioural patterns, attributes, and personalities that help to minimize stress. Stress moderators even include external variables such as yoga, exercise, support networks, and others that serve the same purpose.
Examples include self-motivation, meditation, exercise, tai-chi, love, and other stress relievers (Sagy, 2002). Exercise increases blood flow in the body and produces a hormone that aids in the relaxation of the mind. Exercising engages and diverts thoughts. The primary function of stress moderators is to lessen the harmful effects of stress on the human body and to assist the individual in dealing with a tense environment more effectively. When these factors are used, a person can handle stress better than when they are not used.
Check the following reference articles to learn more about the Moderating Factors of Stress
- Sagy, S. (2002). Moderating factors explaining stress reactions: comparing chronic-without-acute-stress and chronic-with-acute-stress situations. The Journal of Psychology, 136(4), 407-419.
- Cronkite, R. C., & Moos, R. H. (1984). The role of predisposing and moderating factors in the stress-illness relationship. Journal of health and social behaviour, 7(3) 372-393.
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