Stress and Children

As much as we thirst for approval we dread condemnation ~ Hans Selye

 

As adults and caretakers, we tend to view children as carefree and happy beings. Children do not have bills to pay, jobs to do, children to take care off, so what could possibly worry kids? Stress is a function of demands placed on us and our ability to deal with them. Demands usually come from outside sources, family, friends, jobs or school. But demands also come from within, often related to what we think we should be doing as against what we're actually able to do. So stress can affect anyone who feels overwhelmed - even kids. In pre-school children, separation from parents can cause anxiety. As kids get older, academic and social pressures (especially from trying to fit in) create stress. Many kids are too busy to have time to play creatively or relax after school. Kids who complain about all their activities or who refuse to go to them might be overscheduled.

Stress and you

It is not stress that kills us; it is our reaction to it ~ Dr. Hans Selye

 

The word ‘stress’ is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy". A condition or circumstance (not always adverse), which can disturb the normal physiological and psychological functioning of an individual. In medical parlance ‘stress’  is defined as a perturbation of the body’s homeostasis. Homeostasis is the ability or tendency of an organism or cell to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes. This demand on mind-body occurs when it tries to cope with incessant changes in life. There can be many stress factors since different individuals react differently to the same stress conditions. Stress is often termed as a twentieth century syndrome, born out of man’s race towards modern progress and into its complexities. Simple things like managing a teenager at home or getting delayed for a flight are enough to put a person under stress. The brain cannot differentiate between real and imagined stress. It can be real or perceived, but our brain reacts the same way to both causes of stress.