essay about cause and effect of stress

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Stress Cause and Effect

• Categories: Mental Health Stress Management

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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Causes of stress, effects of stress.

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How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay: Full Guide

Ever wondered how things are connected in our world? Think of the butterfly effect—where a butterfly's wings in Brazil can set off a tornado in Texas. It's a quirky idea, but it shows how events are intertwined. Writing a cause and effect essay is like unraveling these connections, connecting the dots to reveal how things influence each other and shape our experiences.

In this guide, experts from our paper writing service will explore the concept of causality and share practical tips for creating great cause and effect essays. These essays won't just provide information—they'll leave a lasting impression on your readers.

What Is a Cause and Effect Essay

A cause and effect essay is a form of writing that aims to explore and explain the relationships between different events, actions, or circumstances. The central idea is to investigate why certain things happen (causes) and what results from those occurrences (effects). It's like peeling back the layers to reveal the interconnectedness of events, understanding the domino effect in the narrative of life.

Here's a breakdown of the key components:

• Causes: These are the factors or events that initiate a particular situation. They are the reasons behind why something occurs. For instance, if you're exploring the cause of obesity, factors like unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity could be identified as causes.
• Effects: The effects are the outcomes or consequences that result from the identified causes. Following the obesity example, effects could include health issues, reduced quality of life, or increased healthcare costs.
• Connection: The heart of a cause and effect essay lies in demonstrating the link between causes and effects. It's not just about listing events but explaining how one event leads to another in a logical and coherent manner.

When crafting such an essay, you're essentially acting as a storyteller and investigator rolled into one. Your goal is to guide the reader through the web of interconnected events, providing insights into the 'why' and 'what happens next.'

How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay with Easy Steps

Understanding how to write a cause and effect essay is like putting together a puzzle. Here are ten simple steps to help you write an engaging essay that looks into how things are connected.

1. Select a Specific Topic

• Choose a cause and effect relationship that sparks your interest.
• Ensure your topic is focused and manageable for a thorough exploration.

2. Explore Causal Links

• Conduct thorough research to uncover hidden connections and supporting evidence.
• Look beyond the obvious to identify intricate relationships between causes and effects.

3. Craft a Clear Thesis Statement

• Develop a precise thesis that clearly articulates the main cause and the resulting effects.
• Your thesis serves as the roadmap for your essay, guiding readers through your analysis.

4. Organize Chronologically or by Significance

• Structure your essay in a logical order, either chronologically or by the significance of events.
• This organization enhances clarity and helps readers follow the cause-and-effect progression.

5. Utilize Transitional Phrases

• Employ transition words and phrases to ensure seamless flow between causes and effects.
• Clear transitions enhance readability and strengthen the coherence of your essay.

6. Support Arguments with Credible Evidence

• Back up your claims with relevant data, examples, and statistics.
• Strong evidence adds credibility to your analysis and reinforces the cause-and-effect relationships you present.

7. Illustrate Chain Reactions

• Show how a single cause can trigger a chain of effects, and vice versa.
• Illustrate the ripple effects to emphasize the complexity of the relationships.

8. Analyze Root Causes

• Move beyond surface-level explanations and explore the underlying factors contributing to the cause-and-effect scenario.
• Deep analysis adds depth and nuance to your essay.

9. Consider Alternative Causes

• Address potential counterarguments to showcase a comprehensive understanding.
• Acknowledging alternative causes strengthens your essay's overall credibility.

10. Conclude with Impact

• Summarize key points and emphasize the broader significance of your analysis.
• Leave your readers with a thought-provoking conclusion that ties together the cause-and-effect relationships explored in your essay.

Cause and Effect Essay Structure Types

When setting up your essay, you can choose from different structures to make it organized. Let's look at two common types of cause and effect essay structures:

• Block Structure:

The block structure is a clear and organized way to present causes and effects in your essay. Here, you dedicate one section to discussing all the causes, covering multiple causes within each category. After that, you have another section to explore all the effects. This separation makes your ideas easy to understand.

Using the block structure allows you to dive deep into each category, thoroughly looking at causes and effects separately. It's handy when you want to give a detailed analysis and show the importance of each part of the causal relationship. This way, readers can fully grasp each element before moving on.

• Chain Structure:

On the other hand, the chain structure focuses on how events are connected and create ripple effects. It highlights how one cause leads to a specific effect, and that effect becomes the cause of more effects in an ongoing chain. This method is potent for illustrating the complexity of causal relationships.

The chain structure works well when you want to emphasize the sequence of events or deal with intricate cause-and-effect scenarios. It allows you to show how actions trigger a series of reactions, displaying the domino effect that leads to a specific outcome.

Regardless of the structural style you choose, if you require assistance with your academic paper, reach out to us with your ' write my paper for me ' request. Our experienced team is ready to tailor your paper to your specific requirements and ensure its excellence.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline

Creating an effective cause and effect essay begins with a well-structured outline. This roadmap helps you organize your thoughts, maintain a logical flow, and ensure that your essay effectively conveys the causal relationships between events. Below, we'll outline the key components of the essay along with examples:

I. Introduction

• Hook: Start with an engaging statement or fact. Example: 'Did you know that stress can significantly impact your overall health?'
• Background Information: Provide context for your topic. Example: 'In today's fast-paced world, stress has become an increasingly prevalent issue.'
• Thesis Statement: Clearly state the main cause and its corresponding effects. Example: 'This essay will explore the causes of stress and their profound negative effects on physical and mental health.'

II. Body Paragraphs

• Topic Sentence: Introduce the first cause you'll discuss. Example: 'One major cause of stress is heavy workload.'
• Supporting Details: Provide evidence and examples to support the cause. Example: 'For instance, individuals juggling multiple job responsibilities and tight deadlines often experience heightened stress levels.'
• Transition: Link to the next cause or move on to the effects.
• Topic Sentence: Introduce the first effect. Example: 'The effects of chronic stress on physical health can be devastating.'
• Supporting Details: Present data or examples illustrating the impact. Example: 'Studies have shown that prolonged stress can lead to cardiovascular problems, including hypertension and heart disease.'
• Transition: Connect to the next effect or cause.

C. Causes (Continued)

• Topic Sentence: Introduce the next cause in a new cause and effect paragraph. Example: 'Another significant cause of stress is financial strain.'
• Supporting Details: Explain how this cause manifests and its implications. Example: 'Financial instability often results in anxiety, as individuals worry about bills, debts, and their financial future.'
• Transition: Prepare to discuss the corresponding effects.

D. Effects (Continued)

• Topic Sentence: Discuss the effects related to financial strain. Example: 'The psychological effects of financial stress can be profound.'
• Supporting Details: Offer real-life examples or psychological insights. Example: 'Depression and anxiety are common consequences of constant financial worries, affecting both mental well-being and daily life.'

III. Conclusion

• Restate Thesis: Summarize the main cause and effects. Example: 'In summary, the heavy workload and financial strain can lead to stress, impacting both physical and mental health.'
• Closing Thoughts: Reflect on the broader significance of your analysis. Example: 'Understanding these causal relationships emphasizes the importance of stress management and financial planning in maintaining a balanced and healthy life.'

Cause and Effect Essay Examples

To help you grasp cause and effect essay writing with clarity, we have prepared two distinct essay examples that will guide you through the intricacies of both block and chain structures. Additionally, should you ever find yourself requiring assistance with academic writing or descriptive essays examples , simply send us your ' write my research paper ' request. Our expert writers are here to provide the support you need!

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Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Choosing a good topic starts with recognizing cause and effect key words. Here are 10 interesting topics that let you dig into fascinating connections and their important consequences:

• The Relationship Between Lack of Exercise and Mental Health in Older Adults
• Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Workplace Productivity
• The Impact of Cyberbullying on Adolescents' Emotional Well-being
• Influence of Social Media Advertising on Consumer Purchasing Decisions
• Consequences of Oil Spills on Coastal Ecosystems
• How Noise Pollution Affects Concentration and Academic Performance in Schools
• The Connection Between Fast-Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity
• Effects of Urbanization on Water Quality in Local Rivers
• The Relationship Between Indoor Plants and Air Quality in Homes
• Impact of Plastic Pollution on Wildlife in Urban Environments
• The Effect of Meditation on Stress Reduction in College Students
• How Increased Screen Time Affects Teenagers' Attention Span
• The Impact of Single-Use Plastics on Marine Microorganisms
• The Relationship Between Smartphone Use and Sleep Quality in Adults
• Effects of High-Fructose Corn Syrup on Metabolic Health
• The Consequences of Deforestation on Local Biodiversity
• Influence of Social Media Comparison on Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents
• The Connection Between Air Pollution and Respiratory Health in Urban Areas
• Effects of Excessive Gaming on Academic Performance in High School Students
• The Impact of Fast Food Consumption on Childhood Obesity Rates

Final Words

Knowing what a cause and effect essay is and how to write it helps you uncover connections in different topics. With this guide, you can share your ideas in a clear and impactful way.

Meanwhile, if you're in need of a reaction paper example , rest assured we have you covered as well. So, seize this opportunity, put your thoughts on paper logically, and witness your essays leaving a lasting and influential mark.

Let's Turn Those 'What Ifs' into 'A+ Ifs'!

Don't procrastinate when you can cause an effect on your grades right now!

Related Articles

Cause And Effect Of Stress Essay

It happens sometimes that stress disturbs our life greatly. Stress is not only some unpleasant situation that makes us feel inconvenient, stress can even cause harm our health. In this stress cause and effect essay we are going to discuss how exactly stress influences us, what forms it has and how we can fight it using different methods and strategies of stress overcoming.

Definition of stress

Stress is responsiveness of the body to overstrain, negative emotions or just monotonous routine. During stress human body produces hormone called adrenalin, which makes us find way out. Stress in small doses is needed to everyone, because it makes us think, look for solutions of the problems, without stress at all life would be boring. However, if there is too much stress, body weakens, loses energy and ability to solve problems.

There is a huge number of essays about stress devoted to this problem. Mechanisms of stress formation are studied in detail and they are quite complicated: they are connected with our hormonal, nervous and vessel system.

It should be mentioned that strong stresses influence our health. Stress affects immune system and causes many diseases (cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and other kinds of diseases). That is why we should resist stress state and give us positive life orientation.

Symptoms of stress

What is stress from practical point of view? To figure it out let’s study the main symptoms of stress .

• Constant feeling of irritation, depression, often without any obvious reasons.
• Bad disturbing sleep.
• Depressions, physical weakness, headache, tiredness, absence of desire to do anything.
• Reduced attention concentration that makes it difficult to study or work. Memory problems and slower thinking process.
• Impossibility to relax, to forget for a while about your business or troubles.
• Absence of interest to people who surround you, even to best friends, relatives and close ones.
• Constantly arousing desire to cry, tearfulness that sometimes turns into sobbing, melancholy, pessimism, pity to yourself.
• Reduced appetite, however sometimes people start eating too much, uncontrolled food intake.
• There are often nervous tics and obsessive habits, such as a person bites the lips, nails and so on. Person often shows mistrust to everything and everyone.

If you are in a stress state, it means only one thing: your body has reacted to some external irritant.

Kinds of stress

In some cases the term “stress” is used to define irritant itself. For example, physical stress is strong cold or unbearable heat, high or low atmosphere pressure.

• Chemical stress means influence of different toxic substances.
• Psychical stress is strong negative or positive emotions.
• Traumas, virus infections, muscle overstrains are biological stresses.

According to result in psychology there are the following types of stress:

Eustresses (“useful” stresses). Everyone needs some dose of stress for successful existence. It is the moving power of our development. This state can be called “reaction of awakening”. It is similar to awakening from sleep. You need to wake up and leave your bed to go to work in the morning. To reach work activity you need a push, a small portion of adrenaline. Eustresses carry out this function.

Distresses (harmful stresses) appear at critical overstrain. This state corresponds to all beliefs that we have about stress.

Causes of stress

Almost everything can cause stress, everything that concerns an individual, that irritates him. For example, to the external causes we can include anxiety or worrying on any reason (change of work, death of a relative and so on).

Internal causes of stress are life values and beliefs. Personal self-esteem of a person also belongs here.

Men as well as women equally suffer from stresses. However each organism has its own features . If you start noticing the signs of stress overstrain of your body, the first thing you should do it to figure out what has caused the stress. It is obvious that it is much easier to fight the causes of stress than its consequences. People say that all the diseases appear because of nerves.

Clinical observations have shown that small stresses are not harmful for the body, but even useful. They stimulate man to find way out of the difficult situation. Not to let depression transform into more serious constant state, each of us should take care of self-education and development of will.

Many people used to fight depression with the help of antidepressants, drugs or alcohol . They think, why they should spend time on will development if there are easier ways. They do not think that they may become addicted and later their will need the help of specialists to fight the addiction.

Treatment and prophylactic of stress

It is well known that there is no better medicine than sound sleep. So think of how you sleep. Here are some tips that will make your sleep better.

• Regular physical exercises are very helpful for good sleep. It is more preferable to do it outside couple hours before sleep.
• Before going to sleep you can take warm bath, listen to quiet, calm music. If you have such an opportunity, combine bath taking with music. Try to do it every day.
• To have sound deep sleep, body needs hormone called melatonin. Our body produces it when we take vitamins of group B. Rise, wheat, barley, sunflower seeds, dried apricots are rich with these vitamins. The vitamins of group B are almost absolutely absent in refined products, so try to eat only natural foods, preferably with high content of carbohydrates.
• It should not be too hot, noisy and too much light in your bedroom. All this does not contribute to calm sleep.
• Calm breathing can also help to overcome stress state. You should take a deep breath through nose. Then breathe out slowly through the mouth.
• Healthy nutrition is also very important when you have stress. Food should be light and easily digested. Eat slowly in small portions. After meal you should have a little rest.
• There are also natural ways of stress fighting. Camomile is considered a very good means for stress overcoming. It helps to fight headache, insomnia, it has calming effect. Oregano (or herb marjoram) and clary sage oil also have effective relaxing quality. Melissa (also lemon balm) is a great means for overstrain. It is used to release tense, anxiety, it helps to fight even serious stress. Melissa teas are very useful for insomnia and depression.

Learn to fight stress!

Each of us one way or another can experience stress state. Also each of us has already developed mechanisms of its fighting, because there is no one unique receipt that helps everyone to overcome stress.

Mechanisms of stress state fighting are individual and depend on certain situation. Something that perfectly helps one person, can be unacceptable for other. Something that works in one situation, may not work in other. It is known that there are several options of stress fighting.

First of all, this is method directed on the fighting of the stress causes. It implies problem oriented strategy of long action that changes either situation, or person. You find the cause of stress and eliminate it. This method can be used only in the case when you exactly realize what cause your stress, you want to get rid of them, and fast but temporary solution of the problem does not satisfies you, or you feel that stress state is coming and you want to be prepared for it.

Second of all, there are so called fast methods that can easy the situation for some time. In this case you try to reduce the level of stress reaction you already have and you try to avoid their worsening. These methods are acceptable for the cases when you can not (due to different reasons and circumstances) eliminate the cause of the stress.

Stress fighting strategies

In fact, there are many ways to relax and have a rest. It can be a walk, reading of a book, listening to or playing music, going in for sport or just doing nothing. Choice depends on you only.

Learn to plan your time. Think of how much time you spend uselessly and maybe you will find ways to spend it with much more use.

With the help of systematic planning you will learnt to find any solution very fast. The main points here are problem formulation (causes, goals, barriers), development and choosing of a right way of solution, its implementation, and efficiency evaluation. It is also important to understand that problems are absolutely normal phenomenon of our life. Your own behavior and too high insistence may lead to stress. Try to change your position, think over the demands, and evaluate your abilities. It will keep you from mistakes and as a consequence from stressful situations.

Now you know that some small amount of stress is even useful for us, but when stress is serious, we need to fight it because it affects the body and life in general. I hope there was something new and informative for you in this essay on stress. Anyway, if you look for really good essay writing service, then the best option for you is Puressay.com . Our website has at its disposal numerous essays on various topics written by team of professional essay writers. Of course, you may try to search for something else, but my advice is do not waste your time and contact us.

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Health Library

Causes and effects of stress.

Anything that brings on feelings of stress is called a stressor. Today, people often face many stressors. Read on to find out the many causes of stress and how stress can affect your body.

Your body’s response to stress

When you’re faced with stress, your body releases chemicals called hormones. These hormones trigger many changes in your body. For example, your:

Blood pressure may rise

Heart rate may increase

Muscles may tighten

Stomach may become tense

Concentration may get worse

Forgetfulness may get worse

What are stressors?

Stressors are anything that causes you stress. They may include:

Adapting to constant, rapid change

Worrying about your finances or the economy

Handling a major life event, such as changing jobs, marriage, divorce, death of a loved one, or moving to a new home

Handling more than one major life event at the same time. For instance, dealing with a family illness while changing jobs

Juggling many roles and responsibilities, such as spouse or life partner, parent, friend, employee, and caregiver for aging parents

Going from one challenging situation to the next without taking time to relax

Being overwhelmed by technology. For instance, keeping up with cellphone messages, e-mails, and text messages.

The long-term effects of stress

If you’re often under stress, you need to learn to manage it well. Stress can affect your well-being. Over time, you may show some of these symptoms of being stressed:

Physical. You may have colds or flu, or headaches. You may have trouble sleeping or sleep too much, have muscle tension, skin problems, or trouble with digestion.

Mental. You may have trouble thinking and forget things easily. It may be hard to focus and learn. You may have a lot of negative thoughts, and speech problems.

Emotional. You may have anxiety, depression, or anger. You may feel helpless or a lack of purpose. You may have relationship troubles.

Behavioral. You may eat in unhealthy ways, drive recklessly, or abuse alcohol or drugs. You may be accident prone or aggressive.

Getting help for stress

If you don't feel you're managing the stressors in your life well, get help from your healthcare provider or a mental health provider. There are many things that can help you adjust and ease your feelings of stress.

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• Stress Essay

IELTS Stress Essay

This is a model IELTS stress essay. It is about stress in modern society and how to prevent it.

It is a causes and solutions type essay. In other words, you have to identify what causes stressand then suggest solutions.

Stress is now a major problem in many countries around the world.

What are some of the factors in modern society that cause this stress and how can we reduce it?

This type of essay lends itself to two body paragraphs - one explaining the causes and the next discussing some possible solutions.

As is important with any IELTS essay, you must always read the question carefully.

The topic is often narrowed down to a particular group of people or topic.

Narrowing Down the Topic

The key here is that ' modern society ' is mentioned.

If you just talk about stress in general but don't connect it to modern society you may be in danger of not fully answering the question .

You need to brainstorm some issues specific to the world we live in today that may result in stress.

What things effect us today that did not (or not too such an extent) 10, 20, 30 years ago?

Using Personal Pronouns

Also, you may notice that ' we ' is used a lot in the stress essay.

Remember an IELTS essay is not quite the same as an academic essay you will normally write. It is can be more personal as you only have your own experience to support your answer with.

You should avoid too many personal pronouns if possible such as ' I ' throughout the essay but you may wish to use this to give your opinion or examples from your own experience at times. This is ok, but don't overdo it.

This question specifically says how can ' we ' reduce it. So it is already making it personal. So it is ok to write about what all of us, or ' we ', can do.

Model Stress Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

What are some of the factors in modern society that cause this stress, and how can we reduce it?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

Stress Essay Model Answer

Stress is a problem that can have detrimental effects on many people’s lives, and there are various factors in modern society responsible for this. However, there are ways to limit the potential impacts.

The modern world we live in today presents us with many issues that we did not have to cope with in the past. Firstly, there are issues of terrorism that we are constantly confronted with in the media. Whether these are real or not, we are led to believe our lives are in constant danger, be it flying on a plane or travelling on public transport. Climate change is another worry that everyone has to face. The results of a significant rise in temperatures could radically affect our ways of life, and our children’s too. There are also more health issues to be concerned about than in the past, with rises in alzheimer’s, diabetes, and stroke to name but a few. All of these concerns can result in stress.

Tackling such problems will not be easy, but there are measures that can be taken. Governments and the media could play their part by ensuring that instead of persistently bombarding us with such negative images and information about the world in which we live, we are given more positive stories too. However, given this is unlikely to happen, we need to develop our own strategies to distract us from these influences. Of course exercising regularly is one thing we should do as this has been shown to increase endorphin levels and lead to feelings of happiness. Sleeping enough helps us to recuperate and restore our body. Finally, eating properly can improve our health and result in less worry about potential diseases.

All in all, although there are many factors around us today which lead to stress, we can take steps to reduce it. Given that the strains we face in modern society will likely get worse, ignoring it is not an option for many people.

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Essay Sample on Causes and Effects of Stress on Students, With Outline

Published by gudwriter on January 4, 2021 January 4, 2021

Cause and Effects Essay Outline About Stress Among Students

Introduction.

Stress in students may have serious harmful effects and thus needs to be addressed.

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Paragraph 1:

One of the causes of stress in students is poor sleeping habits.

• Students who do not get enough sleep at night or lack healthy sleeping habits are likely to develop stress.
• Enough sleep allows the brain and body of a student to relax and recharge.
• Lack of it can limit a student’s ability to learn, concentrate and solve problems.

Paragraph 2:

Student stress is caused by academic pressure.

• They are given homework assignments.
• They have classroom assignments and term papers that are supposed to be completed and submitted in strict deadlines.
• Pressure to do well from those close to them such as family, friends, and teachers.

Paragraph 3:

Student stress may result from poor nutrition and unhealthy eating habits.

• Stress-inducing foods are those that have high refined carbohydrates, sugar, caffeine, and fat.
• A stress-reducing diet is made up of foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and fiber and low in fat content.

Paragraph 4: 

High stress levels could make students develop physical symptoms that could negatively affect their academic performance.

• When a student experiences these symptoms, they might not feel the motivation they once felt about doing their best on academic tasks.
• The symptoms are detrimental to the health of students.

Paragraph 5:

Stress makes students to have poor management skills.

• A student could become disorganized and uncertain about their priorities and goals.
• They become incapable of effectively budgeting and managing their time.
• They develop a tendency of procrastinating and neglecting responsibilities.

Paragraph 6:

Stress leads to self-defeating thoughts.

• A student under stress may consistently think about the adversity or negative situation in which they are.
• They could constantly focus on their weaknesses and failures.

Paragraph 7: 

There are various stress management strategies students may take to reduce stress.

• Get regular physical activity and practice.
• Spend quality time with friends and family, and keeping a sense of humor.
• Find time for such hobbies as listening to music, playing football, and reading a book.
• Get enough sleep and consume balanced diet.
• Stress in students cause serious negative effects, both physical and academic.
• It results from poor sleeping habits, academic pressure, and poor nutrition and unhealthy eating habits.
• It results into physical symptoms, poor management skills, and self-defeating thoughts.
• Parents and teachers should work together to ensure that students do not experience much stress.

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A Cause and Effect Essay on Stress in Students

Stress is the natural response the human body gives to challenges. Students are exposed to stress by various factors. When a student undergoes chronic stress or high stress levels, their ability to learn, memorize, and post good academic performances can be interfered with regardless of their age or grade. Stress can also make a student experience poor mental, emotional, and physical health. Teachers and parents may help students avoid chronic stress in their lives if they learn about and develop a good understanding of common stressors. Stress in students may have serious harmful effects and thus needs to be addressed.

One of the causes of stress in students is poor sleeping habits. Compared to students who get plenty of sleep, students who do not get enough sleep at night or lack healthy sleeping habits are likely to develop stress. Enough sleep allows the brain and body of a student to relax and recharge. It also helps in ensuring that the immune system remains strong. On the other hand, lack of enough sleep can limit a student’s ability to learn, concentrate, and solve problems and can also make them more aggressive. According to Hales and Hales (2016), it is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation that young people, especially students, should maintain a regular sleep schedule and that they should sleep for between 8.5 and 9.25 hours per night.

Another major cause of student stress is academic pressure. As teachers prepare students for standardized tests, they give them homework even if the students are as young as six only. In addition to these homework assignments, there are classroom assignments and term papers that are supposed to be completed and submitted in strict deadlines. The pressure that comes from these assignments coupled with the desire by students to succeed academically culminates into stress. Students also experience pressure to do well in their academic work from those close to them such as family, friends, and even teachers (Raju, 2009). They therefore feel so much pushed that they even resort to academic dishonesty such as cheating in exams so as to match these high expectations.

A student’s stress levels can also increase due to poor nutrition and unhealthy eating habits. Foods that are associated with high stress levels in students include those that have high refined carbohydrates, sugar, caffeine, and fat. This is the case with many types of fast, processed, and convenience foods. Examples of foods that induce stress include French fries, white bread, processed snack foods, candy bars, donuts, energy drinks, and sodas (Kumar, 2015). A healthy stress-reducing diet is made up of foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and fiber and low in fat content. Examples of such foods include lean proteins, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

It is noteworthy that high stress levels can make students develop physical symptoms that could negatively affect their academic performance. These signs and symptoms include chest pain, elevated blood pressure, stomach upset, mumbled or rapid speech, nervous habits such as fidgeting, back and neck pains, tremors and trembling of lips, and frequent headaches (Kumar, 2015). When a student experiences these symptoms, they might not feel the motivation they once felt about doing their best in such academic tasks as completing assignments or preparing for tests. Moreover, the symptoms are detrimental to the health of students, a factor which may father make their academic fortunes to dwindle.

Stress also makes students to have poor management skills. A student could become disorganized and uncertain about their priorities and goals as a result of suffering from high levels of stress. This could further make them incapable of effectively budgeting and managing their time. Moreover, highly stressed students have the tendency to procrastinate and neglect such important responsibilities as meeting deadlines and completing assignments (Hales & Hales, 2016). This, of course, negatively impacts the quality of their academic work and study skills.

High stress levels could further lead to self-defeating thoughts among students. While undergoing stress, it is likely that a student may consistently think about the adversity or negative situation in which they find themselves. In addition, they could constantly focus on their weaknesses and failures while ignoring their strengths and achievements. These are self-defeating thoughts that not only deal a blow to their self-esteem but also affect how they behave and how they feel both as humans and as students (Patel, 2016). They result into a student lacking confidence in their abilities and this negatively impacts their success in school since they cannot perform to their highest potential.

There are various stress management strategies students may take to reduce stress. One of these is to get regular physical activity and practice such relaxation techniques as massage, tai chi, yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. Students may also keep stress away by spending quality time with friends and family, and keeping a sense of humor. Another strategy may be to find time for such hobbies as listening to music, playing football, and reading a book. It is also important that one gets enough sleep and consumes balanced diet (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2019). These strategies may both alleviate and prevent stress among students.

Stress in students cause serious negative effects, both physical and academic. Students may experience stress due to poor sleeping habits, academic pressure, and poor nutrition and unhealthy eating habits. Students need enough sleep and less pressure for their brain to relax and recharge for it to function well. They also need to avoid stress-inducing foods such as fries and sodas. As has been seen, high stress levels could lead to physical symptoms, poor management skills, and self-defeating thoughts among students. As such, parents and teachers should work together in ensuring that students do not experience much stress because it is not good for their health and academic ability.

Hales, D., & Hales, J. (2016). Personal stress management: surviving to thriving . Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Kumar, N. (2015). Psychological stress among science students . New York, NY: Springer.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019). “Stress symptoms: effects on your body and behavior”. Mayo Clinic . Retrieved March 27, 2020 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987

Patel, G. (2016). An achievement motivation and academic anxiety of school going students . Lunawada: Red’shine Publication. Inc.

Raju, M. V. (2009). Health psychology and counselling . Delhi, India: Discovery Publishing House.

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The Long-Term Effects of Chronic Stress: How It Hurts Your Health

Many of us have experienced stress at different times in our lives. In particular, acute stress which is a physical and psychological reaction to a temporary event. Naturally, once this event has passed or the situation is resolved, the associated anxiety usually fades away. But, when stress lingers, transforming our feelings of being overwhelmed and pressured into a constant state, it evolves into chronic stress.

What Causes Chronic Stress?

Any situation that stresses you over a prolonged period can cause chronic stress. This includes:

•  High-pressure jobs
• Relationship problems
• Financial difficulties
• Health scares

These daily challenges can lead to constant worry and anxiety, significantly impacting your physical and mental health. In contrast, acute stress arises from short-lived situations such as:

• Taking an exam
• Participating in a sporting event
• An encounter with the police
• Arguing with a partner

These stressors are temporary, and the associated stress disappears after the event, serving as the body’s natural response to help you manage the situation.

What are the Symptoms of Chronic Stress?

Chronic stress consistently makes you feel overwhelmed, with cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioural repercussions . While you might not experience every symptom, the relentless feeling of being drained could lead to several issues:

• Lack of energy
• Headaches and migraines
• Changes in appetite
• Behavioural changes
• Frequent illness
• Difficulty concentrating

Being caught in a cycle of chronic stress can impact every aspect of your life, including relationships, work, and family, and could potentially lead to more severe health conditions. Following an online clinical counseling masters program could offer strategies and insights to better manage these symptoms and improve overall well-being.

What are the Long-Term Effects of Chronic Stress on the Body?

When the body is in a constant state of stress, everything falls out of balance and it can’t function properly leading to more long-term effects :

• There’s a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, making you more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes.
• Your immune system stops functioning properly making you more vulnerable to illness and viruses. It might feel like you are constantly ill because you catch everything that’s going around.
• Constant stress means your muscles are always tense, leading to back and shoulder pain, or tension headaches and you may have to resort to pain medication. This raises the risk of drug dependence.
• Extreme weight changes—either gain or loss—can harm your health. Obesity can lead to high cholesterol, increased blood pressure, and heart disease, while significant weight loss can result in unhealthy muscle and bone density loss. Nutrient deficiencies from either can cause further complications. These weight issues may sometimes be symptomatic of thyroid problems, another effect of chronic stress.
• Chronic stress can cause prolonged periods of depression, making it challenging to perform everyday tasks such as eating healthily, getting regular exercise and fresh air, maintaining routine hygiene practices, or keeping up with friends and family.

Chronic stress affects people differently, but recognising these signs in either yourself or someone you love is the first step toward finding the right treatment.

What is the Treatment for Chronic Stress?

There are three main approaches to treating chronic stress, depending on your circumstances:

• Lifestyle Changes: This involves adopting healthier habits, like improving your diet and becoming more physically active, to help lead a stress-free life.
• Psychotherapy: Options include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), hypnosis, and alternative methods such as massage therapy or reiki, aiming to address the psychological aspects of stress.
• Medication: Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe medication to help deal with the anxiety or depression that can sometimes arise from chronic stress.

How Can I Avoid Chronic Stress?

To avoid chronic stress, consider the following simple yet effective strategies:

• Change Your Situation: Alter the circumstances causing your chronic stress. This could mean changing jobs or leaving a toxic relationship. Prioritising your health is essential. Try to create a stress-free environment where you can stay healthy and happy.
• Learn Relaxation Techniques: Engage in mindfulness practices or other relaxation methods. Meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises are excellent for calming your mind when you’re on the verge of feeling overwhelmed. Writing in a journal can also be a therapeutic way to stay grounded and process your emotions.
• Exercise Regularly: Choose a physical activity you enjoy to lead a more active life. Exercise boosts your mood by triggering the release of endorphins, enhancing your sense of well-being and confidence.
• Connect with Nature: Spend time outdoors and breathe in the fresh air. Being in nature encourages you to live in the moment and can significantly reduce stress. When combined with exercise, like a brisk walk, the benefits are even greater.
• Eat a Balanced Diet: Focus on a diet rich in fresh produce and limit your sugar intake. Moderation is key, and drinking plenty of water is also important to stay hydrated.
• Find Joy: Incorporate activities into your life that bring you happiness and laughter. Whether it’s a new hobby, quality time with loved ones, or enjoying a good book or movie, make time for things that uplift you.

Chronic stress is a serious health problem and should be addressed immediately. While acute stress is the body’s natural response to immediate challenges, it’s vital to prevent it from escalating. Be proactive in recognising the signs and seeking help when needed.

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What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

It almost time! Millions of Americans across the country Monday are preparing to witness the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse as it passes over portions of Mexico, the United States and Canada.

It's a sight to behold and people have now long been eagerly awaiting what will be their only chance until 2044 to witness totality, whereby the moon will completely block the sun's disc, ushering in uncharacteristic darkness.

That being said, many are curious on what makes the solar eclipse special and how is it different from a lunar eclipse.

The total solar eclipse is today: Get the latest forecast and everything you need to know

What is an eclipse?

An eclipse occurs when any celestial object like a moon or a planet passes between two other bodies, obscuring the view of objects like the sun, according to NASA .

What is a solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, blocking its light from reaching our planet, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes. The resulting "totality," whereby observers can see the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona, presents a spectacular sight for viewers and confuses animals – causing nocturnal creatures to stir and bird and insects to fall silent.

Partial eclipses, when some part of the sun remains visible, are the most common, making total eclipses a rare sight.

What is a lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth. When this happens, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally reaches the moon. Instead of that sunlight hitting the moon’s surface, Earth's shadow falls on it.

Lunar eclipses are often also referred to the "blood moon" because when the Earth's shadow covers the moon, it often produces a red color. The coloration happens because a bit of reddish sunlight still reaches the moon's surface, even though it's in Earth's shadow.

Difference between lunar eclipse and solar eclipse

The major difference between the two eclipses is in the positioning of the sun, the moon and the Earth and the longevity of the phenomenon, according to NASA.

A lunar eclipse can last for a few hours, while a solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes. Solar eclipses also rarely occur, while lunar eclipses are comparatively more frequent. While at least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, total lunar eclipses are still rare, says NASA.

Another major difference between the two is that for lunar eclipses, no special glasses or gizmos are needed to view the spectacle and one can directly stare at the moon. However, for solar eclipses, it is pertinent to wear proper viewing glasses and take the necessary safety precautions because the powerful rays of the sun can burn and damage your retinas.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta, Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Stress Among College Students: Causes, Effects and Overcomes Essay

Introduction, causes of stress in college students, effects of stress, overcoming stress, works cited.

Stress is a considerable problem in the modern society. People often experience high levels of stress due to being overwhelmed with a wide range of duties, such as work, studying, family duties, etc. In particular, college students are one group that is rather susceptible to stress, and can feel the adverse consequences of it very often (Brougham et al. 85); however, there are certain techniques that might help these learners overcome stress.

There are a number of causes of stress among college students (Lund et al. 127-129); according to Brougham et al., some of these causes include daily hassles, financial factors, and academic factors (90). The daily hassles that students are forced to deal with in the process of studying as identified by Brougham et al. are not directly related to college life; in fact, they include such problems as being stuck in traffic congestions, awakening too late in the morning, and the inability to find a place for parking (89). The financial causes of stress that college students are faced with include such issues as the need to pay one’s bills, the dearth of financial resources, and spending too much money when one should have not done so (Brougham et al. 89). Finally, the academic causes of stress, which are clearly specific to this population, include the need to write papers, especially final papers or assignments; worrying about the possibility to obtain low grades during an exam, or regret resulting from having received such; and difficulties related to the selection of one’s major (Brougham et al. 89). It is clear that students who are challenged with a large number of such stressors at the same time are more likely to develop a larger number of symptoms of stress, which have an adverse effect on these students’ ability to function effectively.

Due to stress, college students may experience such adverse outcomes as the decreased levels of cognitive functioning, the impaired ability to study, and, consequently, lower academic performance (Abdulghani et al. 516). First of all, the fact that a student is experiencing stress might have a considerable adverse effect on their ability to perform a wide range of cognitive functions, which are necessary for both proper social functioning and for participation in learning activities. Students who are stressed might feel too tired, not be able to think clearly, or unable to focus on the task at hand. Second, as a result of this, stressed learners may find themselves incapable of concentrating on learning activities and tasks, whether listening to a lecture, reading a book or article, or writing text.

Some students might also start feeling despair or experience depression, which creates further barriers for carrying out their academic duties. Finally, the inability to properly do the tasks related to learning results in decreased academic performance, leading to grades which are lower than those of learners who do not suffer from the symptoms of stress (Abdulghani et al. 517-520). It should be pointed out that the decreased academic performance, as has already been noted above, plays the role of a stressor as well, thus further impairing the learners’ ability to study. Therefore, apart from impairing the student’s ability to function, stress also accumulates and, to a certain degree, starts being the cause of itself.

Because of the serious impact of stress on the academic performance of college students, it might be recommended that students utilize coping strategies in order to decrease the level of stress (Jimenez et al. 444-447); one such strategy includes goal regulation (Neely et al. 88-89). Some authors state that goal regulation “consists of both the ability to disengage from goals that are unattainable and reengage in the pursuit of alternative goals” (qtd. in Neely et al. 89). There are a number of effects of this technique. First, a student who practices goal regulation is able to identify goals that are not attainable, and redirect their attention to aims that can be achieved in practice, which results in a more efficacious use of the temporal resources and the energy that a student possesses; consequently, students are less overwhelmed with tasks and thus may experience lower levels of stress.

Second, pursuing more concrete goals permits a student to direct their efforts towards these goals, thus considerably increasing their chance to achieve them; such an achievement can be viewed as a certain type of reward, thus increasing the student’s level of satisfaction and demonstrating them that they can achieve aims that they set. And finally, students who can disengage from pursuing unattainable and wasteful goals may be able to start “seeing the light at the end of the tunnel”; in practice, they experience fewer intrusive thoughts and lower levels of helplessness (Neely et al. 89). Therefore, goal regulation has a considerable potential as a method for overcoming stress, for it permits students to better distribute their resources, gain certain achievements, and stop feeling helpless.

Thus, college students often suffer from stress, which can have profoundly adverse effects on their lives; however, certain techniques might allow these people to overcome this problem (Caldwell et al. 433-435). Numerous issues cause stress in college students; these include daily hassles, financial and academic factors. Stress can impair students’ cognitive function, the ability to learn, and decrease their academic performance. However, goal regulation might help them to overcome stress. It should also be noted that this and other techniques for stress coping might be useful not only for college students but for other populations as well.

Abdulghani, Hamza M., et al. “Stress and Its Effects on Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study at a College of Medicine in Saudi Arabia.” Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition , vol. 29, no. 5, 2011, pp. 516-522.

Brougham, Ruby R., et al. “Stress, Sex Differences, and Coping Strategies Among College Students.” Current Psychology , vol. 28, 2009, pp. 85-97.

Caldwell, Karen, et al. “Developing Mindfulness in College Students Through Movement Based Courses: Effects on Self-Regulatory Self-Efficacy, Mood, Stress, and Sleep Quality.” Journal of American College Health , vol. 58, no. 5, 2010, pp. 433-442.

Jimenez, Cristobal, et al. “Stress and Health in Novice and Experienced Nursing Students.” Journal of Advanced Nursing , vol. 66, no. 2, 2010, pp. 442-455.

Lund, Hannah G., et al. “Sleep Patterns and Predictors of Disturbed Sleep in a Large Population of College Students.” Journal of Adolescent Health , vol. 46, 2010, pp. 124-132.

Neely, Michelle E., et al. “Self-Kindness When Facing Stress: The Role of Self-Compassion, Goal Regulation, and Support in College Students’ Well-Being.” Motivation and Emotion Journal , vol. 33, 2009, pp. 88-97.

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Guest Essay

You Don’t Just See a Total Solar Eclipse. You Feel It Completely.

By Ryan Milligan

Dr. Milligan is a senior lecturer in astrophysics at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Almost one year ago, in the middle of the night, I drove from my hometown, Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Dublin to catch an early morning flight to Munich. From there I caught another plane to Bangkok, another to Singapore and yet another to Perth in Western Australia. There, I rented a camper van and began a drive of more than 750 miles north to the town of Exmouth on a remote peninsula on the northwest coast of the continent.

This was the only reasonably accessible location on the planet with decent weather prospects from which to view the total solar eclipse on April 20, 2023. The entire event lasted 62 seconds. It was the 10th total solar eclipse I’d traveled to witness.

Even as a professional solar physicist, I find it difficult to convey why eclipse chasers like me go to such extraordinary lengths to witness such a fleeting phenomenon, again and again. I was extra determined to make the pilgrimage last year after I was thwarted by clouds in Chile in December 2020, and I couldn’t afford the eye-watering cost of traveling to Antarctica in 2021. I needed to whet my appetite before embarking on another expedition to see the totality of the April 8 eclipse in Mazatlán, Mexico.

It may sound absurd, but there is no other celestial event that anyone I know would devote so much time and effort to seeing. If you wish to see the northern lights, you can hop on a plane to Iceland or Norway and have a fairly decent chance of seeing them in the winter months. If you are on the nightside of the planet during a lunar eclipse and the skies are clear, you just need to go outside and look up to see it happening. But unless you are fortunate enough to live within or close to the path of totality, witnessing a total solar eclipse will probably require meticulous planning and marshaling time and money to get you to an optimal location and a bit of luck to make sure the weather forecasts you’ve pored over hold true.

Believe me, it is worth the effort.

A total solar eclipse is not something that you see — it’s something that you experience. You can feel the temperature around you begin to drop by as much as 15 degrees over the five to 10 minutes that lead up to the eclipse. The birds and other animals go silent. The light becomes eerie and morphs into a dusky, muted twilight, and you begin to see stark, misplaced shadows abound. A column of darkness in the sky hurtles toward you at over 1,000 miles per hour as the moon’s shadow falls neatly over the sun, turning day into temporary night — nothing like the calming sunset we take for granted every day. Sometimes, a few stars or planets begin to appear faintly in the sky as your eyes get used to the new darkness.

The hairs stand up on the back of your neck and the adrenaline kicks in as your brain tries to make sense of what is going on. But it cannot. It has no other point of reference to compare these sensations to. A total eclipse elicits a unique, visceral, primeval feeling that cannot be evoked by a photograph or a video or a newspaper article, and that can be experienced only within the path of totality when the moon completely obscures the disk of the sun.

And then of course there is the crowning glory: the sun’s corona, the pearly white outer atmosphere of our nearest star that we can otherwise see only using a fleet of dedicated solar-observing spacecraft. It has an ethereal beauty that is challenging to articulate.

For those brief few moments when the corona appears bright in the sky, all the effort made to experience the totality becomes worth it. You want to soak up every second of it and process every feeling, because it is over all too soon. Once the moon’s shadow has passed you feel both exhilarated and deflated because the next opportunity to experience this sensation again could be years away and on the other side of the world. And it is something that you will crave.

There is also, of course, the professional motivation for me to gaze upon the subject of my research with my own eyes. Most other astrophysicists only get to look at exploding stars or distant comets through gargantuan telescopes, where they appear as mere pixels on a computer screen or a squiggle on a graph. It’s easy to get detached from the beauty of astronomy when your job becomes more focused on securing grant funding, teaching, administrative duties and bureaucracy. Eclipse chasing reminds me why I chose this field of work in the first place and reignites my passion — and I want to inspire my students with that same passion.

Each eclipse is different. The shape and structure of the solar corona varies over the course of each solar cycle. The longer the duration of the eclipse, the darker one’s surroundings are likely to seem. And sandwiched between the sun’s “surface” and the corona is the crimson red chromosphere, the layer of the sun’s atmosphere that I have been researching for almost 20 years to understand its relationship to solar flares. In Australia the briefness of totality meant that this region was exceptionally bright and distinguished, and one could even spot some solar prominences (clouds of hydrogen gas suspended above the chromosphere) with the naked eye. That may also be the case on Monday.

People mistakenly think that a partial eclipse is good enough. It is not. When outside the path of totality, the visibility of even 1 percent of the sun’s disk is enough to outshine the entire corona. The buzz around this year’s eclipse through North America has reached a fever pitch not seen since the “Great American Eclipse” of 2017. The duration of totality will be almost twice as long — almost four and a half minutes. (Whether the weather will cooperate is still an open question .)

This is far from the first time I’ve tried to cajole people into experiencing the totality in full. In 2017, I persuaded several of my friends in the United States to join me in Nebraska to enjoy the spectacle without forcing them to traipse halfway across the globe. They later told me that they at first thought I may have been somewhat exaggerating the experience because of my professional bias, but when the eclipse was over, I knew that they finally got it. Their faces were overcome with emotion and they struggled to articulate how they were feeling. Because it wasn’t just about what they had seen — it was about what they had experienced.

Ryan Milligan is a solar physicist at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has held research fellowships at NASA and the Science and Technology Facilities Council in Britain and was affiliated with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for over a decade.

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