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What is Stress?

What do we mean by STRESS? and why is it such a problem in modern society?

To overcome the effects of stress (which can range from mild discomfort to chronic illness, and even death), it is important to understand the meaning of stress; what causes it; how to recognise it; and how to manage or deal with it.

It is therefore helpful to look at the physiological responses of the human body.

The most extreme form of stress puts our lives in danger. Our reactions to stress are a result of genetic programming and the process of survival of the fittest.

In order to survive and pass down genes to future generations, Stone Age men and women had to be able to find the necessities of life, i.e. food, water, and shelter, and they had to be able to either fight or flee from dangers such as wild animals or predators. Those who survived, (and passed on their genes to future generations), were the ones with the most efficient physiological responses to any stressful situation.

In times of danger, the body goes into what is known as the 'fight or flight' response: more blood is pumped around the body and blood pressure rises for a quick, efficient movement. Digestion stops and more acid is secreted in the stomach, turning food into energy. Muscles tense and harden, ready for action, nerves and awareness are increased, and reflexes are sharpened.

Because this 'fight or flight' response was so important for survival, it has been passed down genetically to us all.

We all have this in-built response to stress, which can be extremely useful for avoiding accidents or coping with emergencies, as well as for motivating us to achieve. But life today is not like living in the Stone Age. Modern society cushions us from most life-threatening experiences, and yet our bodies have not evolved as quickly as society, and we still go through the same physiological response under stress. Stone Age men and women were able to calm down after a stressful experience, having released energy and not held it all in, but today it is more difficult to get it out of our systems.

Modern problems tend to be less dramatic, but they are nevertheless still stressful, as they do threaten our safety or security in some way. Survival in modern society requires various things: the ability to conform and be accepted, to adapt to changes, to look after oneself, to communicate with others etc. Everyone develops their own ways of 'surviving' : setting their own routines, priorities, goals and limits. We seldom think of these as survival tactics, but they are, and when they are broken down or disrupted, our security is threatened.

There will always be certain places, people or activities that we feel safest with, although we tend to use words like 'comfortable' or 'confident' rather than 'safe' . When these 'safety cushions' are removed or we are put into new situations, we lose some of our security, and therefore sense possible danger.

Equally, when situations seem to be getting somewhat out of hand, even in seemingly minor instances, our body reacts to the stress factor (e.g.. being late for a meeting) by going into the physiological 'fight or flight' response.

Unfortunately, in most cases it isn't possible simply to fight or fly from the cause of stress, although this may be a natural reaction! Nowadays it's rarely possible to quickly deal with something stressful so that it's over and done with. Stresses accumulate over time, and society generally requires that we deal with them by covering up, carrying on, and appearing to remain in control. We are no longer able to deal with everyday stress by 'fight or flight', and as a result, stress literally gets trapped in our bodies and minds, building up as each new problem arises. We even worry and imagine possible problems!

People react to stress in different ways. Those who are able to relax and are able to release stress (by physical exercise, expressing emotions etc.), don't allow the stress to build up and become harmful. They may even thrive on it!

So, although stress can be a positive thing, enabling us to identify danger and react to it, or gearing us up to face the challenges in life, the most important lessons to learn are how to identify your own stress, and how to manage it.

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