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Alana Mullins

Professor Dean Leonard

ENG 1201.509~Online

25 June 2019

Stress Kills

Everyone deals with stress in one form or another, but people die from stress daily as

well. Whether an individual is dealing with stress from work, school or lack of financial stability,

stress is affecting most people in some way. Stress has many negative health effects, long-term as

well as short-term, and they can in fact kill an individual when severe enough. There are many

chemicals that are released within the body of a stressed individual that cause short-term

symptoms for a stressed individual, which include sweating, fast heart rate, and migraines. When

stress is building up, and at a constant rate for an extended amount of time, with no outlet or

coping mechanism, long-term symptoms of stress can be very serious. Long-term side effects of

stress could include weight gain which can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure which can lead

to cardiovascular disease, and all of these could eventually lead to death. There are many outlets

for people to deal with their stress in a healthy way, but many people have never been taught

how to have an outlet for their stress or that it is important to take time to relieve built-up stress.

Stress is a very serious emotion that individuals need to be aware of. It is important for people to

be taught how to deal with their stress in a healthy manner so they can live a healthier and more

enjoyable life. Many people do not understand what is actually going on within their body when

they are feeling stressed. It is important to have a good understanding of exactly what stress is

before trying to figure out how to deal with the symptoms, and this is something that should be

addressed at a young age so children will have not only healthier, but also happier life.
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Many people are aware of what being stressed feels like, but not many people understand

the science behind what is going on within the body while they are stressed. In the article

“Stress: Why Does It Happen and How Can We Manage It?” author Christian Nordqvist explains

exactly what it is that is happening within the body during a period of being stressed. She

describes stress as the “fight or flight” mechanism of the body. This mechanism “floods the body

with hormones to prepare systems to evade or confront dangers” (Nordqvist). This mechanism is

what is preparing one’s body for any source of danger. An example of fight or flight mode would

include if a bystander see an individual stuck under a heavy object and they are unable to get out.

The bystander has a sudden change in hormones flooding their blood stream, their heart rate

rises, and they can suddenly pick this heavy object off of the person to save their life. This

bystander would not have been able to lift this object on any normal day, but as a result of this

fight or flight mechanism, they did not think twice about picking it up. If an individual is stressed

about events such as a difficult exam coming up or moving to a new state, they will not

experience this fight or flight mechanism necessarily. The symptoms they experience may be

somewhat similar, such as sweating, a headache, or a sick feeling in their stomach, but they may

not all of the sudden attain super strength. The fight or flight mechanism has symptoms

described as both “psychological and physical” (Nordqvist). Specific hormones the body releases

in a large quantity during a time of stress include “cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These

trigger an increased heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating and alertness”

(Nordqvist). These short-term symptoms of stress in the fight or flight mechanism could be

positive and people may not be aware of this due to the lack of education on stress. This article

explains how stress can be used in a positive way. Stress is not always a negative thing if people

understand what exactly it is, how to think of their stress and how to cope with their stress.
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It has been found from many research studies that stress is making people “sick,” from a

simple common cold, to something as serious as cardiovascular disease. In a TED Talk by

psychologist Kelly McGonigal, she argues that it is people believing that stress is unhealthy for

them that causes them issues, rather than the actual stress itself. McGonigal’s view of stress is a

different outlook on how stress can affect an individual’s health based how they think about their

stress. She explains that if an individual thinks of stress in a positive manner and understands

stress as preparing for the situation the individual is in, stress will not only be healthy, but

beneficial. McGonigal states, “When you change your mind about stress, you can change your

body’s response to stress” (McGonigal, 3:09). The argument she is trying to prove is that stress

being harmful is simply a placebo effect. McGonigal argues that physical changes caused by

stress and anxiety are “signs that your body was energized, was preparing you to meet this

challenge” (McGonigal, 5:13). This idea is that people need to be taught how to deal with their

stress and better cope with stress. This practice of convincing the body that stress is just a

preparation mechanism for the body, is a way of coping with stress which is an argument for

teaching coping mechanisms. There are many different ways to cope with stress, but the easiest

way for some people may be to condition their mind to think of stress as their preparation

mechanism for challenging situations.

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Image 1: Kelly McGonigal’s entire speech and moto is “How to Make Stress Your Friend.” This

is a coping mechanism used by many people when dealing with their stress. They think of stress

in a positive way and this is how McGonigal coach’s people to deal with their stress, as a

preparation mechanism for the body (McGonigal).

Many individuals are not able to think stress is healthy for them, to cope with their stress

in an effective way. There are many different factors in stress put on people, but there needs to be

a way to release the built-up stress within individuals. One practice that may be incorporated to

relieve stress could include meditating. Many people think meditation is a silly waste of time

until they apply themselves to it. People who have tried meditation find it to be relaxing and

enjoy taking their mind off all the worries of the world, focusing on breathing. In the book You

are a Badass by Jen Sincero, who is a life coach and speaker across the country, the topic of how

to improve one’s self-confidence is the call to action. One chapter of this book Sincero dedicates

to meditation practices. Sincero states the following:

The vortex and connecting to Source Energy, which automatically: Brings us into the

present moment, Raises our frequency, Opens us up to receive unlimited information and

ideas, Relaxes us, Relieves stress, Strengthens our intuition and ability to focus, Allows

us to hear our inner voice more clearly, Fills us with light and love, Puts us in a good

mood, and Helps us love ourselves (Sincero 87).

This list of positive effects of meditating give credence to incorporating or teaching the practice

of meditation to individuals so they may use it when they feel stress is built-up or on a regular

basis to prevent feeling stressed throughout their day. Meditation is not the only way to cope

with stress. Many people work out to get their mind off the hassles of life. This is an effective

way to sweat out one’s worries. Taking a deep breath is another common way people release
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some stress. Letting everything out is all an individual has to do sometimes to make themselves

feel better. Some people just need to rant to another person and let everything that is bothering

them out. Ranting to others can also lead to receiving advice from another person which will

often help as well. These are all healthy ways to cope with stress, but there are also unhealthy

ways to deal with stress that need to be avoided. Some of these include excessive eating, violent

behavior, a bad attitude toward others, as well as drug and alcohol abuse. An individual should

seek help from a doctor for dealing with their stress before it becomes this severe.

Image 2: This image shows the basic stance when an individual is meditating. Many people think

that meditating is a phony way to destress, and that is until they try it for themselves. Stress helps

thousands of people destress throughout their busy life, daily (Thorarensen).

Obviously, many children are taught at a young age that the importance of school is

grades and test scores. A child’s parents often put the weight on their shoulders of getting good

grades or their teachers pressure the young students on state testing and passing the grade. The

article “Exploring school stress in middle childhood: interpretations, experiences, and coping” by

Valerie A. Sotardi discusses the observations of a study of third graders to get their thoughts on
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stress in the classroom. Sotardi argues that most children find academic stress most prominent

when it comes to the pace the teacher moves through the material and time constraints on

assignments. Another noted academic stressor found in this study was the challenges of

memorizing and the retention of different topics and concepts. The workload put on students can

factor into all of this and add to the stress experienced by children. The educational system adds

in state testing and requirements for teachers to meet, which takes away from time teaching

students and one-on-one assistance with the students. Teachers should be more worried about

students grasping different topics, rather than if they can pass a test at the end of the year. The

young students in this study stated they found stress to be “emotional and psychological strain,

and they felt symptoms of anger, anxiety and fear when stressed” (Sotardi, 16). The fact that

these young students can already point out that they are experiencing stress in their lives is

concerning, because this stress will only increase as they get older. The majority of the students

in the study described stress as a “negative light” (Sotardi, 16). The students in this study are

only in the third grade and are already finding academic stress to be a negative feeling of anxiety

and pressure on them. Children in the third grade should not be stressed at this point in their

lives. The things children should be worrying about should be sharing crayons or what their mom

packed them for lunch. Not every child gets to experience a care-free childhood which needs to

be taken into account by the education system. This stress only gets more severe as they get older

and progress in their schooling.

When in the classroom, stress is put on children academically, but there is also stress in

the hallways, during group projects and small group exercises, or in the lunch room. Social stress

put on students by their peers is a strong factor in contributing to the children’s stress. Older

students’ social media also adds to social stress which can affect their academic performance. In
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the previous stress study, Sotardi discusses criticism by peers in the classroom and how this

triggers students to feel social pressure and lack confidence (Sotardi, 18). Another social factor

that adds to stress within the classroom is during group projects. Many students do not like

working with individuals they are not friends with and may gain social anxieties. Bullying then

may be discussed as a stress factor for students. Stress buildup may lead to anxiety and

depression in students, which could cause academic success to decline.

Stress for children does not just come from school, but from unhealthy home lives as

well. This is especially apparent in low income and violent areas. In Carolyn Crist’s article

“Doctors and teachers could team up to reduce stress in schools”, an account of a seventh-grade

teacher, named Kavitha Selvaraj, in an underserved community shared her first-hand discussion

with a few students. Selvaraj states,

One (student) confided that he was often hungry and found it hard to concentrate at

school. Another said he had nightmares after witnessing a fatal shooting in his

neighborhood. Another said she was sexually abused by her stepbrother (Crist).

In a world with so many negative events occurring around a young child, it may not be their top

priority to get homework done, and their grades may reflect their primary focus is not school.

The stress of their poor home life environment may be adding additional stress to their school

stress, which may be on the back burner. These young minds need to have an outlet to get their

mind off all the difficult times in their life. It is not fair for their academic performance to suffer

due to the worry of eating another meal, or to go to bed under a roof, or be in safe hands when

they leave school. Instead of school adding to the stress-factors of these students, school needs to

be the outlet that calms them down, school needs to be a break from the stress in the world

around them. Children with this toxic stress in their home life should be able to come to school
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and teachers need to take on the role of the caring adult in the lives of these young children. Dr.

Kavitha Selvaraj explained to Crist the “7 C’s” of resilience, in which she believes if

implemented in the classroom, will help students be more mindful of their health along with their

schoolwork. These 7 C’s include “confidence, competence, connection, character, contribution,

coping and control” (qtd. In Crist). If students, along with teachers, follow these seven practices,

the classroom would be able to run smoother and students would feel less of a burden to get their

classwork done, along with not feeling like so much stress is being put on them.

The background information and science behind stress should be taught to more

individuals so they understand what they are dealing with, but why is stress such a big deal?

Stress kills people, including young adults, each day. Deaths could be due to stress causing

health issues or stress becoming too much for an individual to handle and they either try to deal

with it in an unhealthy way or “just want to get their mind off things.” Scientists classify

individuals into two different personality types. One being Type-A individuals which are

characterized as “highly stressed- hostile, impatient, hard-driving and competitive” in an article

called “Stress-Related Diseases” from the Salem Encyclopedia of Health by Timothy Rampey

and Martha Loustaunau. Rampey and Loustaunau explain that Type-A individuals will have a

higher risk of health issues due to stress than a Type-B individual, who is more “patience,

easygoing and relaxed” (Rampey & Loustaunau). Type-A personality types are much more

tightly strung than Type-B personality types, which makes Type-A individuals to have a much

more stressful lifestyle if they do not cope with their stress in a proper and healthy matter. The

main two health issues described in this article include mainly cardiovascular issues and immune

effects. Stress causing high cholesterol and high blood pressure could then lead to heart disease.

When the body starts fighting its own tissues, known as autoimmune disease, new studies are
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starting to find that this is caused by stress, but this is something that is still being researched.

This is due to the many “biochemical changes that occur within the body, which can lead to life-

threatening situations for an individual” (Rampey & Loustaunau). As previously discussed in this

paper, a large quantity of hormones and chemicals entering the blood stream occurs when an

individual is stressed. This is not necessarily a healthy response unless someone is in a situation

when they need to use the fight or flight mechanism. These hormones can cause mood swings

and completely change an individual’s personality if stress is long term.

Stress has gained a great deal of attention in medical research and institutions. The Mayo

Clinic is an academic medical center, ran by a staff of medical professionals and researchers. The

Mayo Clinic staff wrote an article listing some of the common effects of stress on the body,

mood and behavior. The article lists for the body, “headache, muscle tension or pain, chest pain,

fatigue, change in sex drive, stomach upset, sleep problems” (Mayo Clinic Staff). If an individual

is experiencing one or a few of these symptoms it might not be totally due to stress, but it is

likely. The article lists the common effects of stress on an individual’s mood as “anxiety,

restlessness, lack of motivation or focus, feeling overwhelmed, irritation or anger, sadness or

depression” (Mayo Clinic Staff). These are all very common and well-known side effects of

stress that almost everyone has experienced in some way, some people maybe more severe than

others. The article lists the common effects of stress on an individual’s behavior as “overeating

or undereating, angry outbursts, drug or alcohol misuse, tobacco use, social withdrawal,

exercising less often” (Mayo Clinic Staff). These can be possible side effects from other medical

issues as well, but they are very common when an individual is stressed. People may not realize

until they are aware of the symptoms of stress, how much they are affected. Once an individual is

aware of the common side effects of stress, they can think back to a stressful time in their life or
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stressful experience they have had and understand why they might have acted or felt a certain

type of way. The last paragraph of this Mayo Clinic article might be one of the most important

out of all of them. This paragraph explains to the audience when they need to see a doctor for

their stress and when they also need to receive emergency help. The article states,

If you’re not sure if stress is the cause or if you’ve taken steps to control your stress but

your symptoms continue, see your doctor. Or consider seeing a professional counselor or

therapist who can help you identify sources of your stress and learn new coping tools.

Also, get emergency help immediately if you have chest pain, especially if you also have

shortness of breath, jaw or back pain, pain radiating into your shoulder and arm,

sweating, dizziness, or nausea (Mayo Clinic Staff).

Indeed, if heart attack symptoms are present, it is crucial to seek immediate emergency medical

assistance. Heart attacks are not the only way that stress can kill an individual. Some people

become so stressed, especially in high school and college, they end up drinking themselves to

death, or even overdose on drugs, because they do not know when to ask for help about their

stress. Suicide can also be a result of stress that is building up within an individual without being

properly released. These negative outcomes can all be avoided if as a society, steps are taken to

educate people at a young age about how to cope with stress and that seeing a doctor is nothing

to be ashamed of.

At a young age people need to be taught about exactly what stress is and how it could

possibly affect or even end their life. Stress is going to affect every individual in some way.

Along with learning what stress is, people need to be taught at a young age to deal with their

stress in a healthy way. Educating the youth about stress will not only make people live healthier

and happier lives, but also possibly save more lives. Destressing is healthy for everyone to do,
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especially people who are put through a stressful environment daily. People may be going

through harder times than others are aware of, and this is why people need to be more

understanding and kind to one another. There are many different ways to destress, meditation

being a common relaxation technique that is done by some of the most successful people in the

world. Stress is something that needs to be taken serious and precautions should be taken to

educate people, especially at a young age, about stress, as well as how to cope with stress.
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Works Cited

Crist, Carolyn. “Doctors and Teachers Could Team up to Reduce Stress in Schools.” Reuters,

Thomson Reuters, 4 Jan. 2018, www.reuters.com/article/us-health-children-stress-

education/doctors-and-teachers-could-team-up-to-reduce-stress-in-schools-

idUSKBN1ET2F8.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “How Stress Effects Your Body and Behavior.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo

Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 Apr. 2019,

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-

20050987.

McGonigal, Kelly. “How to Make Stress Your Friend.” Ted, Ted,

www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/up-

McGonigal, Kelly. “Kelly McGonigal: How to Make Stress Your Friend.” Jane Taylor | Self-

Care Coaching | Wellbeing Coaching | Emotional Intelligence Coaching | Gold Coast |

Mindfulness Teacher, www.habitsforwellbeing.com/kelly-mcgonigal-how-to-make-

stress-your-friend/. (Image 1)

Nordqvist, Christian. “Stress: Why Does It Happen and How Can We Manage It?” Medical

News Today, MediLexicon International, 28 Nov. 2017,

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855.php.

Rampey, Timothy S., and Loustaunau, Martha Oehmke. “Stress-Related Diseases.” Salem Press

Encyclopedia of Health, 2018. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ers&AN=93872291&site=eds-live.

Sincero, Jen. You Are a Badass. Running Press, 2017. Chapter 10, Page 87.

Sotardi, Valerie A. “Exploring School Stress in Middle Childhood: Interpretations, Experiences,

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and Coping.” Pastoral Care in Education, vol. 35, no. 1, Academic Search Complete.

Thorarensen, Hildur Sif. “Meditation.” Wall Street International, 14 Feb. 2017,

wsimag.com/wellness/23162-meditation. (Image 2)