B1 – Intermediate
Stress is inevitable. We feel stress whenever we are in situations that are difficult to handle. We become overwhelmed and it becomes a challenge to cope.
Read the article below to know how we can better handle stressful situations.
http://www.english-online.at/health_medicine/stress/coping-with-stress.htm
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
- Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
- How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
- Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
- Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
32 replies on “Stress – Signs and Symptoms”
Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
No. Peaks of stress in concrete situations help us to face the problems with more energy. However, if stress in kept in time our body overreact making us to get sick.
Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
In the past a had quite a stressful lifestyle and I suffered the consequences. Now I’m trying to learn how manage stress better. The issues you have to deal with in your life affect directly to your lifestyle, and sometimes they are difficult to change. However, you can manage the way you assume and face those issues to reduce your stress levels.
How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
I have assumed that sometimes I will not be able to deal with everything. In that cases I try to priotize. Also, although always try to do my best, I try to be assertive when transmitting what are the things that I will need to put off making the others understand that it is necessary and not feeling guilty about that.
Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
I think that drinking do not solve the problema. May be your first impression is that you feel relaxed and forget your stress. However, alcohol is a depressor of the nervous system and in the long term it increases the negative consequences of your stress.
Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
Undoubtedly, always that the job with low pay allows me to cover my needs without suffering economic issues, I would choose the relaxed job, even if it is considerably lower paid than the other. It does not mean that I’m not interested in challenging jobs, but I’m pretty sure that I don’t want a job where the stress is to be assumed as a fixed part of the daily job.
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1. Yes I considered the stress is necessary to some situations in the life. But stress continued finally affects to the health
2. Not a lot. And I try not to have it. For example, situations which produces me stress: speak English in the work meetings :), my wife sometimes 🙂
3. Thinking easy, taking perspective about of situations, observing myself and evaluating my stress.
4. In my opinion is not a good action take alcohol to getting something, the best I think is raise the things with auto motivation without any external chemical agent.
5. I prefer the medium term. Enough salary, and no stressed work, only sometimes.
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Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
I think that a little stress could help to stay alert and concentrate, but too much stress it’s like poisson.
Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
I thing that my life it is not so stressful, but there are situations in my job that can stress me, like, when i cant finish my work on time or when something it is not happening like i want it.
Speaking in public, in english or with a important person could stress me.
How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
When i am too stress i see humor videos to relax and break the thinking loop.
it works for me.
Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
Pufff. I think that drinking does not solve any problems. Maybe, it makes grow the problem.
Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
I prefer a relaxed job with low pay, and i am working on formulas to do it, like reduced the work time, change the job, work from home … because the money is only a tool for the live, and, when the basic neededs are covered, you can spend the time with the people that you want freely.
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1. Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
I think a little stress is necessary, it helps you to be alert and active.
2. Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
Well, I have a lifestyle that can be stressful at times, I travel frequently and schedules are something that causes me stress also in some situations related to my responsibilities in the company.
3. How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
To manage stress, I usually try to focus on the important things to do, and when time and situation allow it, I read a book or listen to music.
4. Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
I think, that it is not the best solution, especially if it is an alcoholic drink.
5. Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
Maybe a stressful job with a good salary, I prefer to be active. I couldn’t be in a job where time passes slowly, on the other hand I always try to manage stress.
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Stress is not good, maybe sometimes is necessary because it maintains you in an alert way for the thing you have on mind, but in a short time.
My lifestyle can be a little bit stressful because I am a working woman, I am mum, and we just moved to a new house, bigger than the old one; so these situations all together and in the worst moments can be stressful, but I have the ability to handle them thanks of course to my husband, my colleagues or even my boss.
To reduce this stress is necessary that you lean on people, they are there to help you in your most difficult situations.
I don’t think having a drink when you are stressed is the solution, you can do it in some moment, but if you do it when you are really stressed I think that you will go too far without any control.
None of them, I would choose a job that sometimes can stress you with the right salary you deserve for doing it, and have the ability to learn how to handle those possible stressful situations and in some weeks or months not having at all long-term stress.
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Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
I dont think, stress for me is bad because you do the things worse than if you are quiet.
Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
I dont have a stressful lifestyle, only because I live in Madrid and it is a big city and people go running always.
How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
I dont have stress in my life, I try to keep calm and take the real importance of the things.
Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
I think it is a bad solution because if you do it always you will be addicted to this in a long time.
Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
A stressful job with very high pay because I think the stress is psychological and I can organizes my time very well.
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1. Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
I think sometimes stress is necessary because when you’re facing a big challenge or problem you must be very aware of the situation and a little of stress puts you in alert, so you pay more attention when solving the problem or facing the challenge. Of course too much stress isn’t good at all because it can affect your health so you have to learn how to channel stress.
2. Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
I would say that fortunately my life isn’t stressful compared to other’s, the things that stress me the most are when I have to face a big change in my life such as moving to another house, looking for a job, fixing a problem with family or friends.
3. How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
When I’m stressed I usually go for a walk at the park or just go to read a book somewhere near nature that helps me a lot. I think this activities could be considered as good ways of dealing with stress, but of course it depends on how the person is and her or his mood.
4. Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
I think it can help sometimes because alcohol make us forget about our problems, but of course all excess is bad and alcohol can damage your body.
5. Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
At this point of my life I think I would prefer a relaxed job with considerably low pay because I’m young and I love to travel and to hang out with friends often. Also I don’t have children so I don’t have to take care of someone else besides me.
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1. Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
I think that stress makes you are alert and mantain active, sometimes this is good, but if you don`t know handl it, can be perjudicial for you health; and produce serious health problems such as depression, panic attacks, headaches, stomach problems.
2. Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
No, I haven´t. I have a good job. I can keep a balance between my family life and my professional life. I am fortunate for this.
And if I think of some situations that stress me out, probably this would be situations with my daughters; they are 11 and 5 years old. So, you know, typical problems of his age.
To more years, big problems, to few years, small problems. but nothing that we can’t solve.
3. How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
In the past, when I felt stressed, I would take my bike and ride and ride until I got tired, and I tryed solve my problems, I was look at solutions but I didn’t talk about this. And this made serious problems in my stomach. I had a nervous ulcer.
Now, my time is limited, because I have a family; so I try keep calm, and to solve small problems. And I learned to ask for help when I needed.
It wasn’t easy for me, but i learned to ask for help. I understood that I’m not superwoman, and I can`t with everything. And is good, because I learned to release and relax.
4. Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
Well, if it’s just one, it’s not bad. but if this to repeat day to day, is wrong; because it can become a serious problems.
If you use it as a method to forget your problems, I think that this is not the way, and always There is a limit to everything.
5. Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
In this moment I think that I would choose a stressful job, because I need money; but only for one time. until obtain the money necessary for my project, and then I would look a relaxed job for live.
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Sure, there are some situations where stress is necessary and even mandatory. Stress, or more specifically, adrenaline and cortisol, the “stress hormones”, are handy when dealing with situations that require from us to be at our best.
A service presentation to an important client, situations in which our life is threatened or a son crying desperately, require all our attention and mental sharpness to find the correct solutions, and thus, functions like digestion, reproduction, growth or immunity can be momentarily put in halt.
However, from the sole description of the functions that our body considers accessory in stress periods, we can deduct that this kind of stressful situations should not last for ever.
Everybody has experiences that after a period of enduring stressful situation, our stomach hurts and inflames, our sleep is less regular and most of the days we wake up already tired, and we have more frequent colds.
It is evident that if those are the “visible” effects of a long period of stress, the hidden effects are imaginable and frightening at the same time, that why, knowing how to deal with stress situations is clue to a healthy modern life.
For people who are 50 of more, like me, there are two more disturbing aspects of stress that every young man or woman should know and take into account.
First of all, stress has a cumulating effect. The more stress you suffer, the easily the stress effects have an impact on your mood and physical wellbeing.
Second, the older you get, the lesser the capacity of your mind and body to deal with stress situations.
Both aspects combined – less capacity to handle stressful situations with stronger effects on your body and mind – can affect you to the point where they can become a disabling factor.
From my side, I am not really sure I have completely learned who to deal with stress.
Having healthy relationships with your friends, your family and, most importantly, with yourself is, at least, three quarters of the job. If this is not the case, searching for psychological help and eliminating from your life unhealthy relationships is a must.
As my grandmother use to say, “when a window closes, another open. Always”.
The second most important way to deal with stress, is to learn to confront your fears. Again, very important psychological aspect for which we should not doubt searching for help, if needed.
And, in my opinion, the third most important way to deal with stress is having a true hobby. The type of hobby that naturally – very important – fills you with dopamine – the happiness hormone – and that, automatically makes you fill fulfilled. This can be even more difficult than having healthy relationships, but it is worth several tries.
Finally, exercising, meditating, eating healthy, not abusing drugs or alcohol, will complete a perfect selection of stress reducers.
All of these is common sense, but it is worth having it written in a visible place, because when dealing with stressful situations, it is easy, very easy, so easy, to forget.
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1.-Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
I think stress is not good , you need to be proactive but manging your feelings because under pressure you cannot think clearly.
2. Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressful?
In fact , I have a relaxing life but I feel a little stressed when I have a lot of things to do and all of them are urgent
3. How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
I usually have some herbs like linden ,I listen chill out music or go out with my friends
4.Can alcohol cure stress temporarily?
Probably not ,it depends on the persone but you can feel better for some minutes after that you will fell probably worst
5.Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxing job with considerably low pay? Why?
I would prefer a relaxing job becuase at the you will have more free time and a better way of life
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1. Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
It can be good if it is in the proper way. A little stress can motivate you and even being necessary to react adequately in front of a dangerous situation.
However, too much stress is not good because it causes health and emotional problems.
2. Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressed?
No, in general I have not, but sometimes I felt stressed. The most of them have been at work, when I had several tasks to do at the same time, or when I had to give an speech to many people.
3. How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
Stopping a while, breathing deeply and then thinking quietly how to handle the situation. I think it is a good way.
4. Some people like to have a drink when they are stressed. What do you think about this?
As long as the drink is not too much alcohol (because it could make greater the stress later), I don’t think it is a bad way if it makes them feel better.
5. Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxed job with considerably low pay? Why?
Both options are extreme cases and they are never good options. Besides, both options will takes you to get stressed. I’m not an ambitious person, so I would choose a relaxed job with low pay.
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1. I think it depends of the person. Some people need a bit of stress to take actions but other take action without it.
2. Yes, I have a lot of job travel related, which include timepoints very difficult to reach in some occasions. Almost every task is requested as urgent and in addition to this, you have to be 100% compliance with some company general tasks which are not urgent but mandatory. More than 8 hours would be required for complete all requested tasks.
3. I try to do sport but sometimes I don’t find the time to it, which is stressful. In addition to this, I try to sleep 8 hours. I think it is something very personal so if it is good or bad ways, it depend of each person.
4. I think is dangerous because we feel stressed most frequent we should, and we could depend of this action to get relaxed. It can cause you an addiction.
5. I think it depend of your life moment. For a time you might prefer the first situation (due to you are young and have some goals like buying a house) and then it change. Anyway, stressful job is not a long term job. It’s not healthy.
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1. It is necessary the higher level of adrenaline in some cases for example as in the reading is indicated, during an accident, in order to react properly in as faster way. But high level of stress we are used to living with it nowadays because our lifestyle, and I think is very harmful for our health.
2. Yes. Living in a big city with long distances, high number of population and our lifestyle is very stressful and my kind of work also. The situations that make me feel stressed are for examples to arrive late to meetings due to the traffic jam, and uncertainty situations.
3. Having time for my hobbies and train in the gym, have hot baths, sleep more and to practice meditation. I think all of them are very positive and healthy and I solve the stress.
4. I think is a mistake, because you do not solve the issue that makes you stressed and is not positive for your health, it could decrease your health.
5. I choose a relaxed job with lower pay. Because I prefer to have time and health to enjoy the things that I love or being with the ones I love, rather than have a lot of money, but not health nor time to enjoy it.
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1/ It depends. Not all stress is bad. I think that stress is necessary in some situations. It is an option where people, can use their skills in positive way to provide solutions.
2/ Sometimes, I have a stressful lifestyle. There are some situations that make me feel stressful: for example a deadline/ data cut off… in the job.
3/ I reduce stress in my life with exercise (gym), make time for hobbies, take a break…
4/I think alcohol cannot cure stress temporarily. It is not a god option.
5/ I choose A stressful job with very high pay. I prefer stressful job and learn how to manage the stress. I think I am a person who handles stress well.
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Well, I think that stress is necessary in some situations. For example, if you are stressful because you have a lot of homeworks to do, but you want to watch some movies or play a videogame, you will do homeworks, because you know that you need to do it to reduce your stress.
In my opinion, the best way to reduce stress is to dance or sing, maybe walk while listening to music is a good idea too, and all these ways are phisically and mentally healthy.
Alcohol is a way to de-stress, but as the question itself says, is temporarily, and carries side effects like hangover, so it’s a bad way.
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In my opinion, the stress in general, is no healthy for any body. However, depends on the moment, sometimes i need to feel some of stress in the professional life or in my personal life for to think more quilicky and to do something faster. But, obiusly, the alcohol or other things than could be no healthy for you are bad for became to relax. I prefer to do exercicies, in my case, for example, i´m going to Pilates Monday and wednesday and for my is a practical, very usefull because i think better after to do exercie..
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Stress – Signs, Symptoms and How to Manage Stress
1. Do you think stress is ever good or necessary? Why or why not?
Considering that stress is a reaction to an unusual event or happen I think stress could be good or necessary in a short term. Our body react to stress due to an unusual situations increasing the flow of blood, and generating hormones (adrenaline) to overact or mitigate this weird situation. But if this situation or abnormal reaction of our body persists our body could hurt itself. It’s like a glass of water that you fill, at the end the water overflows.
2. Do you have a stressful lifestyle? What are some situations that make you feel stressful?
No I don’t have a stressful lifestyle but I have a stressful work. In many aspects of my life I have a relaxing lifestyle , enjoying of friends, family and my environment, but I have a job that requires a continuous learning and a fast response. I have lived some situations Iike anyone in short and long term due to exams, work tasks and private circumstances.
3. How do you reduce stress in your life? Do you think they would be considered good or bad ways of dealing with stress?
I take a breath deeply in a short term when its possible then I start to think that every trouble has a solution. It’s true that not all stressful situations are faced up in the same way, for instance stressful situations extended in the time are difficult to manage.
There are good and bad way to deal with stress some people fall into drugs and alcohol when they are not able to manage the situation and like a glass of water overflows, leaking through lifes on insane behaviors.
4. Can alcohol cure stress temporarily?
No, I consider alcohol is another break in the wall paraphrasing the known song. Alcohol or any drug is a virtual way to change the focus from the problems to other reality where people is temporary happy and all is fun.
5. Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxing job with considerably low pay? Why?
It’s a very good question, I bet that everybody think about a relaxing job is better than a stressful job but we want to have a good life with all kind of facilities or we need a job that we do as people. I believe this choose must be done basis on the following question: What do yo like to do in your life? If you like to do something I mean if you like your job the stress is something that can be managed.