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Krista Wells

Professor Lisa Cook

ENG 1201

9 July 2020

What is the Effect of Stress to the Body and how can we maintain it healthily?

Stress is an experience that each one of us experience. My topic will cover the details of

stress and how we can maintain it in such a way that is healthy for the body. More specifically,

what effect does stress have on the body and how might we maintain it healthily? Not only do I

hope to explain in detail how the body reacts in a mode of emphasized distress, but also how it

handles situations that are none other than pleasant. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress is a

common side effect of daily challenges we face on a daily basis. For example, uncertainty for the

future and what it presents can cause undue stress.

A common theme throughout all my sources is that regardless of what kind it may be,

“stress has been associated with mental health problems (Wu, 2020).” According to a journal by

Dan Wu and several others, prolonged stress will eventually lead to mental issues because of the

workload required of students and the environment that could have an impact on their learning.

This study in particular is a nationwide study focusing on the Chinese population of college

students. Environment also plays a great role in affecting students and the level of stress they

encounter. “Regarding the fears and concerns (stressors) of female students, 438 out of 1,625

reported about the concerns and difficulties they faced during the first week after changing from

the conventional system to online learning (Moward, 2020).”

The New York Times article, “How to Be Better at Stress,” perceives stress to be a

psychological issue where your views and beliefs is what causes or relieves stress while the
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Mayo Clinic contributes stress from the effects of health issues and the battles of life. They view

the topic to be a normal occurrence that is easily treated. It can be quite taxing to the body on

both a mental and physical level. According to Parker-Pope, she believes that stress makes you

stronger. If this were entirely true, most of the population would likely have little to no stress.

Stress will happen. Each one of us has triggers. Stress has the power to mentally prepare us for

the next battle we face but make stronger? It is debatable. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD) on the other hand plays a different role in stress management. It is quite difficult to

avoid, especially for war veterans. Introduction to the Human Body mentions terrorism,

imprisonment, violent crimes, as well as others as potential stressors for those who suffer from

PTSD. It can be managed but not avoided. Even the simplest of actions like dropping a bowl on

the group could set off a panic attack.

Although stress can happen to anyone, there often are common misconceptions in

relation to what one may believe about the topic. For example, many believe that stress is the

same for everyone. This is completely untrue. All individuals have their own coping

mechanisms. Situations that are deemed stressful to one is not an issue to another. How they will

react really depends on the person and their life background. The reliability of this statement

from an article by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2018 is trustworthy at the

least. The APA is an excellent resource for medical information but also, it is common sense in

regards to what was written. I do not plan to use the article as a source but the information is

relatable and true. This is one example of a source that although may not be reliable in its

entirety, but covers issues relating to what people believe is true but is scientifically proven

wrong.
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To conclude this review, I will go back to my research question. What are possible

answers to it? There is a great amount of information I could include but for now, I will say this.

Stress covers a multitude of factors that i=undice and relive it. However, there comes a point

where surface level basics on stress are not enough. Deeper understanding and research will aid

in the discovery process. There are many things we could do to manage our stress--breathing

exercises, exercise, journaling, seeking support, etc. It is about finding what best suits your

needs. As far as good research goes, look towards organizations that will positively benefit your

research or are in support of the cause. My topic is based from a medical/scientific standpoint, so

searching will need to be geared towards sites that are well-respected in that particular

community.
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Works Cited

Dan Wu, Lingwei Yu, Tingzhong Yang, Randall Cottrell, Sihui Peng, Wei Guo, &

Shuhan Jiang. (2020). The Impacts of Uncertainty Stress on Mental Disorders of Chinese

College Students: Evidence From a Nationwide Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00243

Mayo Clinic Staff. “How Stress Affects 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.

Moawad, Ruba Abdelmatloub. “Online Learning during the COVID- 19 Pandemic and

Academic Stress in University Students.” Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie

Multidimensionala, vol. 12, no. 1Sup2, 2020, pp. 100–107.,

doi:10.18662/rrem/12.1sup2/252.

Parker-Pope, Tara. “How to Be Better at Stress.” The New York Times,

www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-deal-with-stress.

Tortora, Gerard J, and Bryan Derrickson. Introduction to the Human Body. 11th ed.,

Wiley, 2019.