Stress

How can stress affect people in the modern society?

Scientifically, stress is the body’s response to any physical, mental or emotional alterations that requires an adjustment. Neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky stated that during the event of a “fight or flight” situation, stress causes the release of certain hormones that trigger the body responses to efficiently prioritize on survival instincts by temporarily shutting off other less-important systems such as digestion and reproduction. However, what was once the savior in life-threatening settings for humans has begun to turn its back since the dawn of more modernized civilizations. The contemporary lifestyle is currently surrounded by petty concerns - difficult to escape by its nature - that have a significant participation in escalating the average stress levels among humans. Although problems involving studies, work, finances or relationship are not literally life-threatening, the inner stress switch all humans have are subconsciously turned on when dealing with them. Department of Health Psychology and Applied Psychophysiology from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation reported that 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress. On a related note, the bigger question we need to ponder upon is, how does the stress factor affects the modern society? According to numerous researches, it has been proven that stress affects people by deteriorating their bodily health and cognitive abilities.

Stress can afflict the modern society physiologically by weakening their health as it leads to the temporal shutdown of an immune system and a surge of increase in weight gain. The immune system, a body’s first line of defence against hostile antigens, is known to be receptive towards stress hormone levels and acts accordingly to it. Mcleod S. (2010) revealed that prolonged suppression of the immune system by the stress hormone corticosteroid will result in humans being more susceptible to infections. The National Geographic documentary, Stress: Portrait of a Killer mentioned that stomach ulcers were not merely caused by bacterial infection but also caused by a stress-driven impairment of the immune system. On the other hand, principal investigator Carol A. Shively, a professor of pathology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (2011) also noted that “stress influences fat deposits in the abdominal cavity while exacerbating the build-up of plaque in blood vessels”. These visceral fat deposits increase the risks in heart diseases - worldwide leading cause of death - by congesting the blood vessels with plague. One example of this would be hypertension, a coronary heart disease whose victims suffer from increased strain on their circulatory system due to clogged blood vessels. Chronic congestion may even lead to a fatal heart attack when blood vessels leading to the heart are fully blocked.

The impairment of cognitive abilities is also related to stress because it oppresses memory capabilities and learning developments in humans. According to Mental Help (2008), the constant presence of stress hormones such as cortisol in the brain may modify the network and performance in some aspects of the nervous system. Hippocampus is the part of a brain which contains functioning neurons that determine the competency of memory and learning. While stress hormones are generally favourable in brain activities, an overdose will bring 
about reduced receptors in the hippocampus which prevents the formation of new memory and hinders the retrieval of an existing memory. According to Elzinga, B. and Roelofs, K. (2005), patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder were found to have a 10% reduction in the hippocampus. Apart from that, it has also been inferred that Alzheimer’s and dementia are caused by long-term exposure to stress. Discovery Health (2012) researches suggest the stress hormones also promotes the growth of proteins that cause Alzheimer's, resulting in further memory loss. Hence, people who are exposed to continuous stress may experience confusion, have a hard time concentrating, go through lengths in learning new information, and have problems with making decisions. Excessive stress overload experienced at workplaces could be potentially harmful for the society in the long run, as it brings about a decreased productivity among workers. Based on the studies of Department of Health Psychology and Applied Psychophysiology from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration declared stress "a hazard of the workplace because it costs the American industry more than $300 billion annually."

As a conclusion, it is evidently clear that findings show a clear relation between stress and humans's psychological and physiological states. With more technology coming into play in our lives, more information and small matters to handle as we move towards the future, it is highly likely that stress will definitely be a part of our daily struggles. Then, what should one do to prepare themselves to face this ever-growing challenge? When not managed properly and adequately, research findings show it may have grave consequences and life-changing impacts, especially if you develop a chronic disease that has its main roots in stress factors. According to Bill Phillips, stress should be a powerful driving force, not an obstacle. As a part of a solution for this giant dilemma, a proper management of our emotional reaction towards stress factors and continual practice of stress reduction is the key to a healthier, enjoyable life.

References

Nauert PhD, R. (2009). Social Stress and Heart Disease. Psych Central. Retrieved on April 29, 2012, retrieved from
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/08/06/social-stress-and-heart-disease/7578.html

Shively, C. A., Register, T. C., and Clarkson, T. B. (2009)  Social Stress, Visceral Obesity, and Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis in Female Primates. Obesity. Retrieved from  http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v17/n8/abs/oby200974a.html

McLeod, S. A. (2010). Simply Psychology; Stress and the Immune System. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-immune.html

Kiffer, J. F. (2010) Department of Health Psychology and Applied Psychophysiology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/effects-of-stress-on-your-body

Kuhlmann, S., Piel, M., Wolf, O.T. (2005). Impaired Memory Retrieval after Psychosocial Stress in Healthy Young Men. Journal of Neuroscience.

Mills PhD, H., Reiss PhD, N., Dombeck PhD, M. (2008). Mental and Emotional Impact of Stress. Mental Help. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=15649&cn=117

How Stuff Works. (2012). Effect of Stress on the Brain. Discovery Health. Retrieved from http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/stress-management/effect-of-stress-on-the-brain.htm


Angier, N. (2009). Brain is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18angier.html

Success

          "What does success means to you?" At one point of an individual's life, a time will come requiring the need to reaffirm their own definition of success. As per Henry David Thoreau's quote "Men are born to succeed, not to fail", it is an innate desire hardwired deep within humans to achieve a certain level of self and public recognition throughout their lifetime. Although the standard definition of success is the completion of anything intended, the answers garnered will come in varying degrees due to differences in individual approach on personal notion of success. Success can mean raking in a huge amount of profit to a businessman while it could mean raising a child with moral values for a parent. Though the circumstances have nothing in common, the context of success remains technically unaltered. The definition of success for each individual is largely dependent on the 'needs' and 'wants' in a given circumstance. The definition of 'needs' and 'wants' heavily influences an individual's concept of success because they perceive the value of material, contributive and spiritual success differently.

           Individuals who regard material success to be of the highest value will consider accumulation and substantial possession of money to be the absolute goal in life. ‘All About Philosophy (2002-2012)’ suggested that materialism can also refer to a doctrine that teaches material success and progress to be the highest value in life, a prevalent ideology in western society today. Working for money takes precedence over other goals to these people since they are obsessed with acquiring possessions that represent their financial superiority. Statistics from the Finnish Quality of Work Life Survey in 2003 shows that 33% of working mothers and 28% of working fathers from the current generation of parents feel that they have been forgoing familial relationships to achieve financial success. Contemporary media and society also worship the idea of wealth, thus heightening the value of material success as the most desirable and respectable to most people.

            Contributing in creating a better world for the future generation is a success in life for individuals who identify themselves as a contributor. These people are usually driven by their desire to make a difference in the world that benefits others, be it a worldly or daily struggle. A prime example of a contributor would be the late president of United States of America, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who dedicated his short-lived life into uniting Americans to fight against racial discrimination, war, poverty, disease and tyranny. His support for racial integration and civil rights remain as one of his major contributions to American human rights. His devotion in shifting the paradigm of human rights in America won over the hearts of his people and propelled him into being one of the most successful presidents of United States of America. He remains as one of the inspirational figure for contributors around the world as a benchmark of success in making a difference


          Success, for those who regard spirituality as the most important fraction of one’s life,  is when they transcended themselves and reached enlightenment. Spiritualists are people who try to resist the desire for any gratifications offered in the material world and attempt to detach from emotions associated with negativity. According to one of Dalai Lama's quotes, success has to be judged by what you had to give up in order to get it. Although the quote implies the relationship between success and sacrifice as a technical exchange, it is based on karmic beliefs of what goes around comes around. He conveyed spiritual teachings through logical reasoning by appealing to the logos of people. As the symbol of peace, his efforts in promoting peace have also drew considerable attention and acclaim throughout the world.


          In conclusion, success is subject to perception of each individual based on their own personal values.
Because success is not quantifiable and measurable using one single standard, the manifestation of success largely depends on each individual engaging in the matter. Despite the differences in terms and actual appearance of success, the method employed and effort required to achieve this remains quite similar amongst its different kinds. According to Mark Twain, dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. Taking his words into account, it should not be forgotten that regardless of the kind of the success an individual is attempting to attain, this should be acquired through hard work and effort.

References

1. Midson-Short, D. (2009, January 26).Six Types of Success. Health Wealth. Retrieved from http://www.health-wealth.co.nz/home/free-articles/six-types-of-success.html

2. All About Philosophy. (2002-2012). Materialism - Definition and Doctrines. All About Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/materialism.htm

3. Eurofound. (2005, October 10). Combining Family and Full-Time Work. Eurofound. Retrieved from http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/reports/TN0510TR02/TN0510TR02_5.htm

4. O'Brien, M. (2005, February 24). John F. Kennedy: A Biography (1st ed.). New York, USA: Thomas Dunne Books.

My Attitude Towards Writing.

I am very thankful to have a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards writing in English since it serves as my main channel of expression. As far as I can remember, English has always been my forte in school. My interest in reading just about anything at all has also improved my writing skills in terms of using diverse expressions, sentence structures and vocabulary. From reading classics such as Sherlock Holmes to surreal fiction by Haruki Murakami or even a brochure about imported Japanese black pork, I find enjoyment in picking up on random knowledge and specific words to be used in a wide array of writing styles. Looking at writing from that point of view made it a fun and enjoyable activity of conjuring up fitting words to be constructed into eloquent sentences. Beautiful pieces of writing motivates and inspires me all the time to become better in expressing myself through the use of words. I lean more towards writings that express feelings and also works of fictions, though I also invest time and effort in logical, constructive writing to diversify my skills in writing. I think that the combination of words and melody to be the most quintessential form of expression out of all.  Therefore, I find writing stories from lyrics of Japanese songs particularly interesting since they usually depict a whole story.

Although I try to always maintain a healthy approach towards writing, there are times when I get frustrated for not being able to remember a certain word or for sounding repetitive during writing. It gives me a feeling of being incompetent for improving at a much slower pace than I would prefer. Whenever I start feeling so, I remind myself that it is a good thing to have a lot of room for improvement because the process of learning is the most exciting thing about knowledge. Ever since I came to that conclusion, it became my motto to always treat knowledge accumulation as a game and not an achievement. Of course, I am also liable to writer's block from time to time despite my efforts in trying to improve my writing consistency by keeping a blog. I would suggest people who are suffering from writer's block to try their hands at different types of writing instead of sticking with their niche writing style. They may be pleasantly surprised  to find that they enjoy writing in a different way and be able to gauge their potential to the fullest. I would also advise that words are to be used with the utmost caution and care for they hold more power than most people think they do. As an analogy, the thin line separating persuasion and manipulation are the words used. Therefore, people should always think twice and put themselves in the shoes of the receiver before saying or writing anything to prevent miscommunication and misunderstanding.