Let's Get Real About Stress.
Stress is a state of psychological/mental/emotional strain or pressure resulting from challenging circumstances and adverse situations. The human body uses “stress signals” as a means of responding to any kind of perceived challenge or threat. When experiencing heightened stress and anxiety, the human nervous system releases certain stress hormones which alter the human body by making its heart pound inside the chest faster, forcing muscles to tighten or constrict, blood pressure rises, all while heightening the senses into overdrive. In psychology, this state of arousal caused by these stress hormones is called the “fight or flight” reflex, developed within all humans. These physiological actions are the body’s way of protecting you and prepping you to combat whatever is stimulating your stress.
Being in a state of stress is not always a bad thing. Too often, people use terms like ‘stress’ and think it is automatically a negative. Being stressed can help you perform under pressure, protecting or encouraging you to perform at your best when you need it (imagine the quick adrenaline burst of being chased by an animal, slamming on the breaks to prevent a car accident, preparing to defend yourself from an attacker, feeling nervous before the big job interview). Stress and its respondent “stress signals” are necessary for us.
For formality, the term for positive stress is “eustress”. Positive stress, as noted above, manifests in particular times and for certain reasons:
•Motivates and focuses our energy in a positive direction or for an important motive
•Is short-term (the feeling one has before a public speech or before a job interview)
•The stress is felt, but is still manageable within our known coping abilities
•Eustress can sometimes improves performance (consider the old adage of “you only feel stressed if it is something you care about”; the positive stress felt by an athlete before starting a game).
That said, when negative stress (the opposite of “eustress” is “distressed”) becomes overwhelming and is inappropriately managed, it can damage both your psychological and physiological health, dampening one’s overall quality of life.Stress and anxiety become even more powerful when we allow it to manifest too much strength, disproportionate to its actual power. Want to know how to feed the beast that is stress and anxiety? Want to know how to better manage stress, harness it for positive endeavors, and thrive?
This book is a real talk approach to stress management. We will discuss the faulty techniques many people will inappropriately use to manage their stress and anxiety.
We will discuss how stress manifests and its roots both physically and psychologically. Finally, will discuss strategies to consider in stress management and reduction. This will include conversation on healthy lifestyle and its impact, connecting the physiological and psychological self, and other reduction techniques to consider for best results.
Stress is real and needs to be addressed and managed responsibly in order to maintain superior mental health. This is the starting line. Let's begin!
Stress is a state of psychological/mental/emotional strain or pressure resulting from challenging circumstances and adverse situations. The human body uses “stress signals” as a means of responding to any kind of perceived challenge or threat. When experiencing heightened stress and anxiety, the human nervous system releases certain stress hormones which alter the human body by making its heart pound inside the chest faster, forcing muscles to tighten or constrict, blood pressure rises, all while heightening the senses into overdrive. In psychology, this state of arousal caused by these stress hormones is called the “fight or flight” reflex, developed within all humans. These physiological actions are the body’s way of protecting you and prepping you to combat whatever is stimulating your stress.
Being in a state of stress is not always a bad thing. Too often, people use terms like ‘stress’ and think it is automatically a negative. Being stressed can help you perform under pressure, protecting or encouraging you to perform at your best when you need it (imagine the quick adrenaline burst of being chased by an animal, slamming on the breaks to prevent a car accident, preparing to defend yourself from an attacker, feeling nervous before the big job interview). Stress and its respondent “stress signals” are necessary for us.
For formality, the term for positive stress is “eustress”. Positive stress, as noted above, manifests in particular times and for certain reasons:
•Motivates and focuses our energy in a positive direction or for an important motive
•Is short-term (the feeling one has before a public speech or before a job interview)
•The stress is felt, but is still manageable within our known coping abilities
•Eustress can sometimes improves performance (consider the old adage of “you only feel stressed if it is something you care about”; the positive stress felt by an athlete before starting a game).
That said, when negative stress (the opposite of “eustress” is “distressed”) becomes overwhelming and is inappropriately managed, it can damage both your psychological and physiological health, dampening one’s overall quality of life.Stress and anxiety become even more powerful when we allow it to manifest too much strength, disproportionate to its actual power. Want to know how to feed the beast that is stress and anxiety? Want to know how to better manage stress, harness it for positive endeavors, and thrive?
This book is a real talk approach to stress management. We will discuss the faulty techniques many people will inappropriately use to manage their stress and anxiety.
We will discuss how stress manifests and its roots both physically and psychologically. Finally, will discuss strategies to consider in stress management and reduction. This will include conversation on healthy lifestyle and its impact, connecting the physiological and psychological self, and other reduction techniques to consider for best results.
Stress is real and needs to be addressed and managed responsibly in order to maintain superior mental health. This is the starting line. Let's begin!
