Reading Text a

1. Before reading the text answer some questions.

1. What can make you experience stress?

2. Remember the last time you had some kind of stress.

3. How do you feel if something causes stress?

4. What do you do to reduce the stress?

2. Read and translate the text. What Can Stress Do to Us?

Doctors say that stress can reduce the body’s ability to fight against diseases. Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure and heart diseases. High stress levels can cause asthma attacks. It can also lead to depression and anxiety.

Mental and health experts believe personality is an important part in how we experience stress. Some people are aggressive and always in a hurry. They often become angry when things do not go the way they planned. They are called “Type A” personalities. They often have stress-related illnesses.

The “Type B” personality is a much more calm person. These people can deal with all kinds of situations more easily. As a result, they are less affected by stress.

Men and women deal with stress differently. Women usually have stronger social support system to help them in time of trouble. However, experts say that women are three times more likely to develop depression in reaction to the stress in their lives.

Chronic stress is most common among people in the workplace. People who care for family members who are ill or old also suffer from high levels of stress. Events or situations that cause stress are called stressors. However, what is a stressor for one person may not be a stressor for another. For example, two people can react to a long bus trip quite differently. For one it might be a relaxing vacation, while for another person it could be stressful and unpleasant. When stressors and stresses pile up on each other, we can reach a point where we have difficulty coping. To avoid reaching that point, it is necessary to recognize some of the causes of stress.

Frustration is one of the most common causes of stress, when we are blocked from obtaining a goal. For example, we don’t have enough money to buy what we want. Or we worked on some paper for a long time and then lost it and have to start it again.

Daily hassles are daily frustrations, they include household hassles (preparing meals, cleaning, shopping), health hassles (anxiety about medical or dental treatment), time-pressure hassles (the feeling that there are too many things to do, too many responsibilities and not enough time for them), inner-concern hassles (feelings of low self-esteem and loneliness), environmental hassles (noise, pollution, crime, traffic), financial hassles etc. All of them can result in feelings of tension, nervousness, worry, and sadness.

All kinds of changes are stressful, even changes for the better. Another source of stress is conflict.

Experts say that there are several ways to deal with stress. They include deep breathing and a method of meditation. They also include exercise, eating healthy food, getting enough rest, balancing the time spent working and playing.

Doctors say that people should limit the accounts of alcohol and caffeine, like coffee, in their diets. People who have a lot of drinks with caffeine experience more stress and produce more stress hormones.

Experts say exercise is one of the most effective stress-reduction measures. Running, walking or playing sports cause physical changes that make you feel better. It also helps protect against a decrease in mental ability.

Experts say keeping stress to yourself can make problems worse. Expressing emotions to friends or family members or writing down your feelings can help reduce stress. People should try to accept or change stressful situations whenever possible. Reducing stress may help you feel better and live longer.