Stress: the source of all problems?
According to Sapolsky (2004), stress is the source of almost all psychological and physical complains. But is stress always a bad thing?
Nowadays stress is titled as bad. But actually, stress isn’t that bad. There is also good stress.
- Good stress
We need stress! Strange right? But good stress helps us to adapt to the environment. Good stress helps you to flee out of an unsafe situation, to help us fight if we can’t run. Al your energy and blood is during this stress-moment sent to your muscles to run or fight. But also to your brain, so you can think straight and fast. Al the other body functions are on a lower level then.
- Learning ability
Stress also helps you to learn new things. For example; if something is not going the way you want it to go, you will experience a stress respons. In psychology we call this a stressor. This stressor helps you to find other ways to get your goal done anyway. Out of this experience you will learn that this way works better. Next time you will use the new way to get to your goal.
- Conclusion
So, you need a good working stress system to adapt to your environment and to learn new things. But, if your stress system is activated all the time you can imagine that this can become a source of psychological and physical complaints.
In PART TWO I will write about how you can observe, and more important can detect stress yourself. Of course I will explain ‘bad’ stress a bit better :-)
Sneak peak next part of stress:
Source: Sapolsky, R.M. (2004). Why zebras don’t get ulcers: A guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping. New York: W.H. Freeman.
PART TWO: Stress, how you recognize it
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