Stress and Your Body

Major birthday coming up? Making a presentation at work? Caught in traffic? These are just some of the everyday events that can cause stress, making you anxious, tense, angry, or afraid.

Stress can come from bigger events, too, such as a new job, divorce, or the death of a loved one. In short, you can’t avoid stress. But learning how to manage it can improve your emotional well-being—and your physical health.

What is Stress?
When you’re under stress, your body releases chemicals (namely, cortisol and adrenaline) that activate a “fight or flight” reaction. These chemicals affect every organ in your body and can cause increased heart rate, muscle tension, and insulin secretion, as well as decreased immune response and libido.

Once the stress passes, these chemicals return to normal levels. But consistent stress can lead to health problems, including headaches, muscle pain, allergy-like reactions, memory difficulties, and high blood pressure.

Taking Control
These simple steps can help you reduce and manage stress:

  • Exercise and eat a balanced diet.
  • Manage your time.
  • Set realistic goals and expectations.
  • Talk with a loved one or write in a journal.
  • Try relaxation techniques.
  • Take time for yourself.
  • Stay positive.

Stressed--Or Depressed?
Sometimes, what seems like stress is actually depression. Changes in sleeping or eating patterns; decreased energy, concentration, or enjoyment; or thoughts of death may indicate clinical depression if you experience them consistently for two weeks or more.

If you think you’re depressed, call your physician or health care professional. Depression isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a medical condition that often is successfully treated.

To Learn More
Visit us online at www.kp.org and search our health encyclopedia.

Depression among Adults Employed Full-Time, by Occupational Category

Depression can seriously impact a person's ability to perform routine activities at work. It negatively affects U.S. industry through lost productivity, employee absenteeism, and low morale. U.S. companies lose an estimated $30 to $44 billion dollars per year because of employee depression. Research shows that the rate of depression varies by occupation and industry.

Among the 21 major occupational categories, the highest rates of past year MDE among full-time workers aged 18 to 64 were found in the personal care and service occupations (10.8 percent) and the food preparation and serving related occupations (10.3 percent). The occupational categories with the lowest rates of past year MDE were engineering, architecture, and surveying (4.3 percent); life, physical, and social science (4.4 percent); and installation, maintenance, and repair (4.4 percent).

To see where your occupation rates, visit http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/depression/occupation.htm

Taking Control
These simple steps can help you reduce and manage stress:

  • Exercise and eat a balanced diet.
  • Manage your time.
  • Set realistic goals and expectations.
  • Talk with a loved one or write in a journal.
  • Try relaxation techniques.
  • Take time for yourself.
  • Stay positive.

Stressed--Or Depressed?
Sometimes, what seems like stress is actually depression. Changes in sleeping or eating patterns; decreased energy, concentration, or enjoyment; or thoughts of death may indicate clinical depression if you experience them consistently for two weeks or more.

If you think you’re depressed, call your physician or health care professional. Depression isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a medical condition that often is successfully treated.

To Learn More
Visit us online at www.kp.org and search our health encyclopedia.