Many people who are aware that they are under tension consider it a health problem and believe they should seek relief for it. As a matter of fact, a certain amount of tension is not only normal but useful. Tension is the form in which both our mind and our body respond to a situation which demands increased efforts. If we had no tension at all, we could not very well handle the demands which life makes of us, either physically or mentally. The person whose level of tension is below normal may be sluggish or listless. In a very real sense, his condition is just as much a cause of concern as the person who suffers from too much tension. The normal person will develop a temporary increase in tension under situations where there is physical or emotional stress. This is reflected in his muscle tone, in his level of alertness, and in his ability to react quickly. After the demanding situation is past, the tension usually eases off.

If a person is under stress for an unusually long period of time, of if he over-reacts to a stress, he may develop a number of physical and or emotional symptoms associated with tension. The physical symptoms may take the form of headache, stiffness in the back of the neck, clamping of the jaws that may even produce a jaw-ache, internal cramps or diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, and the inability to sleep.

The emotional symptoms may take the form of restlessness and irritability. Two emotional responses, fear and anxiety, are related to tension often produced by physical danger. In the case of fear, the individual responds to real physical danger and the body will reach the decision whether to fight or run away. In other words, the body prepares for physical action to protect against danger.

In the case of anxiety, the individual responds not to real or actual physical danger, but to an imagined feeling of being threatened. Since there is no appropriate physical outlet of this feeling as there is in most cases of fear, the tensions build up instead of being discharged. The person may become distraught, highly agitated, hysterical, and even unable to move. The fact that anxiety is often based on non-physical threats does not mean it is necessarily unrealistic. In fact, it tends to happen at certain periods when a person’s life is undergoing changes either in his own development or in his life situation. At these critical points of life, either new demands are being made upon the individual, or his usual sources of security are being threatened. Anxiety is common in adolescence, during the early years of marriage and the initial experience of parenthood, during job changes, and in old age.

Buildup of excessive tension can often be prevented by a regular program of exercise. Daily walking, swimming, bicycle riding, or other physical activity, when done under the guidance of your doctor, is often the best tranquilizer possible. A hot bath just before bed will often help to counteract the stress-muscle tension-spasm cycle. A person who is able to handle stress, fear, and anxiety because he has developed a constructive level of tension needs no medical treatment.

When tension is so drawn out or so severe that it produces continuing physical discomfort and inability to cope with daily existence, the person should seek professional help. If a person continues to have too much anxiety to the point where it interferes with the fulfillment of his daily responsibilities, his physician may suggest that he seek the help of a psychiatrist. Through this help, he may be able to develop a more realistic picture of the relationship between himself and the business of daily living. Hopefully, with this insight those things which used to threaten his sense of worth will not be as frightening. In fact, they may cease altogether.