Do We Experience More Stress Today Than Our Grandparents Did

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Stress is an extremely widely used term these days yet was rarely used in our parent's and grandparent's day. We all seem to be stressed out at work and at home.

Is this because we are stressed or are just over using a term and blaming it for the problems in our lives?

Are we wimps whose characters are not as strong as our processors? (After all,our Grandparents had to endure World Wars.) One thing is for sure is that in the past communication was not as good as it is now so, our Grandparents were less inclined to discuss being stressed out with others and also in the pre-24 hour News, wall to wall Chat show and Internet world it was less likely there was a mouth piece for these discussions. Whether or not stress is a new phenomenon we can only deal with things we can deal with. It therefore is irrelevant whether Stress is new or not. If you think you are suffering from stress chances are you are. It is only how and what effects us that is important not want went before us.

Constant threats of terrorist attack are intended to act on our anxiety.

The economy is uncertain and we are either worried about losing our jobs or struggling to meet the bills we have to pay.

Even having more women in the workplace adds to the stress. Many Women have careers on an equal footing to their male counter parts yet are still expected to still carry out most of the domestic chores when they get home. The once calming role model in a household is now the most stressed of the lot.

Stress is contagious and it is passed on to Children can feel the pressure of stress and anxiety. Striving to meet the impossible targets set by the imagery and fakery of their idols on TV is later surpassed by the stresses of getting in to the right high school college or university and then job.

With Mobile phones and other instant communication devices we are always on the go and always reachable. We don't make time to relax and enjoy life any more. Where as in our Grandparents day life tended to be less instant and therefore slower, even in wartime, there was a natural forced break in between events to allow the mind and body to recover its equilibrium.

We, in today's world need to be able to force ourselves to relax and learn the techniques that allow us to do that. Maybe as we generally have not had to deal with real life and death situations we need to learn perspective and to prioritise.

We need to be able to identify the stressors that affect our daily lives, eliminate the stressors of which we can free ourselves; and then deal with the remaining stressful situations in a measured and healthy manner.