05/04/2022
Stress is best described as the feeling we experience when the perceived demands made on us (or those we place on ourselves) are greater than our perceived ability to cope. We often talk about stress as feeling under pressure, feeling overwhelmed, feeling tense and feeling emotional.
Stress is a natural occurrence in most people’s lives and it is inevitable in this world due to ill health, social, economical, financial, environmental problems, war, starvation, unemployment, busy schedules, dreams and a desire for greater learning, experience and achievement, and so on. Everyone experiences stress when they find themselves in challenging or in difficult situations. Stress is primarily a physical response to a perceived threat: the body automatically releases a complex mix of hormones, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for action, known as the fight or flight response. The heart pounding, fast breathing and boost of energy that happens automatically is accompanied by a shutdown of other functions not deemed necessary.
There is no thinking involved, blood flow is redirected to the most important muscles needed to fight or flee and this process occurs as a body’s response to danger. However, when the state of stress is prolonged or repetitive, we begin to experience psychological symptoms of stress such as memory loss and inability to concentrate, poor judgement, negative thoughts and worries. This comes at a great cost to our busy lives and during these times we are likely to experience feelings of anger, irritation, panic, anxiety, guilt and so on. Stress can also be detrimental to our physical health and can lead to emotional and physical burnout.
