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Day-to-Day Stress

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Day-to-Day Stress
Omar R. Hameen
GEN/200
May 17, 2011
Barbara Alston

Day-to-Day Stress In the following paper I would like to talk about a problem that causes stress my daily life. I will describe how to gather information to help me solve this problem and where the information can be obtained. In this paper I will talk about my experiences and how I deal various forms of stressors at home and in social settings.

Daily stress Stress is a term used by many, is severly misunderstood, and often used to describe a negative condition or emotional state. It is our biological way of dealing with sudden changes in our life. The biggest stressor for me is fatigue. Most days, my morning starts around 10 a.m. By 11 a.m., I’m hurrying to the store to grab an energy drink then back home to work on school assignments and apply for jobs online. At 12 a.m. I start my “work day”, which typically requires cleaning, preparing my daughter for school, and taking care of any outside work that needs to be done. I usually find myself leaving home at 5 p.m. and heading to pick up my daughter from daycare. Whether we go to the park, play some type of sports in the yard, or go on a bike ride; I spend the next 3 hours running around behind my 4 year old daughter, using my last bit of stored energy. When our playtime is done we head inside to do her school work and other learning activities. Spending family time is important, so usually its dinner and a movie until I can make myself fall asleep around midnight. Even during weekends I find myself engaged in family activities. Usually it’s enjoying my daughter at cheerleading games instead of recuperating and replenishing my energy.

Research Gathering information on theses topics are now easier with today’s technology. All the knowledge a person can handle is a fingers tip away. I can do research on accredited sites for information on how to keep my body healthy. I can make an appointment for a consultation from my doctor, who understands the medical point-of-view on feeling fatigued. Running behind my daughter helps me stay physically healthy. Online research enables me to make an unprofessional diagnosis, seek professional help, and start the process toward healthier living. Energy levels can be increased over time. I can create a sleep ritual to improve my quality of sleep, by mandating a time to get in bed. I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in late 2010. This has made the resting process a lot more difficult. Currently, I am waiting on a CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) machine to assist with my night time sleeping process. By doing research on how to correct my sleeping problem it can allow for a proper nights rest. Taheri S. Mignot, author of the article “The genetics of sleep disorders,” discusses the studies of sleep disorders and how they affect a person’s daily activity. Mignot showed sleep is essential; the precise physiological reasons for this are unknown, but even subtle changes in duration and quality of sleep can impinge greatly on health. Some of the reason why people are concerned about sleeping disorders is that many people suffer because of the lack of a diagnosis. It is important for a person to understand why they feel fatigued during the day and take the proper measures to correct the problem. Fatigue is a symptom that can only be express by the person experiencing it. It is up to the individual self-report the problem and seek proper expert diagnosis. For this investigation I relied on the fatigue-inertia subscale of the Profile of Mood States (POMS), which defines fatigue as "a mood of weariness, inertia, and low energy level" (1992).

It is up to me to make a self-assessment on the amount of sleep I get per night. I have to understand how these stressors affect my day-to-day activities and make changes accordingly. Conclusion The responsibility falls upon me to get proper rest and use my time wisely during the day. If tools and research are readily available I have to take time to be more informed. Stress will never go away but if I look at it in a more positive way the effects of the stress won’t have a negative effect on my life.

Reference
Taheri, S., & Mignot, E. (2002). The genetics of sleep disorders. The Lancet Neurology, 1(4), 242-50. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/201509091?accountid=35812

McNair PM, Lorr M, Droppleman LF: POMS Manual: Profile of Mood States. San Diego, Calif, Educational and Industrial Testing Service, 1992

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