As hunter/gatherer people our bodies developed warning signals that helped us recognize when to attack and when to retreat from situations. We have labeled this ‘stress’.
We respond physically and emotionally. This can have us perform at our peak…think of a boxer in the boxing ring. He/she knows when to retreat and when to attack.
This is good stress!
Unfortunately, when we are exposed to more stress than we can cope with on a mental, emotional or physical basis the ‘stress response’ goes into overdrive and it can be damaging to our health and well-being.
Today, I’m explaining exactly what stress is…why it’s good for you and what it does to you when it’s not so good for you. And how to tell the difference!
Generally, we consider stress to be the opposite of relaxation. And the human body is wonderfully adapted to deal with certain levels of stress.
Stress is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological (body and mind) which may cause a physiological response known as general adaptation syndrome (G.A.S.)
This was first introduced to us by Hans Selye in 1936. Selye described G.A.S. as having three separate stages, as follows:
- Alarm reaction. The body detects external stimulus. You may recognize this as ‘the fight or flight’ stage. Your body and mind react by going into a kind of ‘heightened awareness’ and you prepare to either engage in fighting or run away.
- Adaptation. The body engages defensive counter-measures against the stressor. You may recognize that after the effects of the alarm reaction your body and mind begin to ‘adapt’, that is you start to alter your thoughts, emotions and attitudes to the original stressor and begin to accept the situation.
- Exhaustion. The body begins to run out of defenses. After exhausting our mental, emotional and physical ability to resist and adapt to the stresses we experience we become exhausted.
What level is your stress?
Stress may include both “eustress” which is positive stress and “distress” which is negative stress. Life contains both but it is important to understand that what causes distress for one person may cause eustress for another.
When we talk of stress we are usually discussing distress. Stress is subjective and based on your personal life perception.
Do not let others tell you that your stress is not real.
Eustress may be classified as life’s challenges and is as essential to life as exercise is to a muscle. Too much distress in life can directly and indirectly contribute to general or specific disorders of body, mind and emotions.
In other words too much stress can make you ill.
Stress can have a major impact on the physical functioning of your body by raising the level of certain hormones in the body and thereby affecting bodily organs. For example, the levels of adrenaline and corticosterone are elevated during the alarm reaction phase of stress. These chemicals increase heart-rate and blood pressure as well as respiration and thereby put more stress on bodily organs. Long-term stress can therefore be a contributing factor in heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other illnesses.
In the Japanese culture death from overwork is called karoshi and is believed to be due to heart attack and stroke brought on by high levels of stress.
This strong link between emotions and physical health is supported by the following paragraph. James A. Duke in his book The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook writes about the heart disease research work of Dr. Dean Ornish M.D.:
“Dr. Ornish tells about a group of rabbits that added an unexpected tidbit to the research on heart disease. Kept in a laboratory under research conditions, the rabbits were genetically similar, and all received the same food and got the same amount of exercise, yet one group had 60 percent fewer heart attacks than the others. What was the difference? It turned out the healthier rabbits were the ones kept in the lower cages, and the short person who fed the rabbits could reach the lower animals and pet them when feeding them.”
As a Health Coach I play a role in helping people combat the effects of stress in their lives:
When a cuddle from a friend and a long weekend break from work isn’t bringing you back into balance you need to consider making some life changes to prevent ill health.
An initial consultation takes one and a half hours and involves looking at your health history and current lifestyle. One of the questions I ask is ‘how high is your stress level?’ with one being very low and 10 you are at your wit’s end. The number of times I hear the answer “12” would shock you! From there we look at what you are doing that is positive and we begin a personalized program to change the negative.
We may look at aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, Reiki, Reflexology and other bodywork techniques to help you relax and repair. I’ll make referrals. In addition, you will most certainly be given homework including breathwork, suggestions on how and which types of exercise will help, nutritional improvement; we’ll take a look at your sleep patterns and more.
So, what’s your stress level?
Want some help?
You can start by popping over to The School of Complementary Therapies website and check out the Articles on Health archives. I’ve shared tons of information over the years and you can help yourself for Free!
Or contact me and we’ll set up a free 15 minute consultation appointment to get you started on your own personal wellness Program and you’ll soon be Feeling Absolutely Fabulous!
Debra A. Jason says
Stress can definitely affect your health! I experienced it when I was younger and wasn’t happy in a job – all of a sudden I broke out in hives (something I never had). It was the sign that made me realize it was time for a change. It’s a good thing to listen to your body.
Thanks.
Debra
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
Great learning experience. Well done you! Nasty prickly, itchy bumps…something was under your skin at work. Glad you recognized and made the changes. xox
Debra A. Jason says
Me too! 🙂
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
<3
Belinda Rose says
When I am at my stress limit or beyond it is really simple…I get ill. When I get ill, I pull back and rest. I recognize this about myself and yet i still invariably allow the overwhelm and stress to build until I’m zapped with a flu bug or exhaustion. Not too bright on my part, eh?:) If I would only remember to stop, pause and BREATHE! If i would only remember to take a day off and do something fun and relaxing before it gets to that point! <3
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
I think all of us who are entrepreneurs have this in our make-up…go, go, go and collapse. Yet we have the answers…as you say, take those days off and do something fun and relaxing. My way is to build them into my schedule. Appointments for me just like for my clients. Big healing hugs coming your way. xox
Denise Marie Filmore says
I recently experienced an emotional and mental overload. I pretty much broke down in the car with non-stop crying. I homeschool my son and work at home and I cannot afford another one of those episodes.
I now take moments throughout the day to just walk with my son. If I have to stay inside then I take short breaks in between each task. Even if it is just a 1 minute breathing exercise, I make sure that I never go straight from one task to another without taking a break.
Thanks for the post!!
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
Fabulous learning and sharing Denise. How cool is that? Yes, even a minute or two to connect with now, become mindful and breathe can make all the difference.
Lucky boy to have mum home-schooling and teaching him by example too!
xox
Inga Deksne says
Thanks for the post. I’ve recently discovered that I perform best when I am in an extremely stressful situations, for instance, leaving many things to be done shortly before the deadline. But I can feel that i am wearing myself off, that’s why I schedule my activities that would allow me to thrive without putting pressure on myself.
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
Getting the most enjoyment out of life really is a balancing act. Good for you that you are recognizing patterns. xox
Inga Deksne says
really enjoyed your article, to be ready with a quick catchy line outside traditional networking events never occur to me before. I’ve signed up for your October challenge.
Minling says
This is a great post! I didn’t realize there were so many types of stress! I know I feel overwhelmed at times and I definitely have gone in to the exhaustion stress state! Whenever I get stressed though, I try to remember to breath. That usually helps everything and calms my mind and body!
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
Yes, connecting to our breath is such an easy tool…it’s the remembering to do it that can be the challenge for me. I use zen mindfulness techniques during the day to bring me back to the now … and my breath.
Thank you for sharing. Stay happy lovely!
thebusyhedonist says
I had no idea there were different types of stress—thank you for illuminating! I have learned to simplify my life so that I don’t get stressed very often. Of course it creeps in from time to time but I breathe deeply and remind myself that life is a gift. It seems to work every time.
Jacqueline Fairbrass says
Great tool! Funny how one little word ‘stress’ can have so many meanings and consequences. xox