Stress is Good for Us.
The term stress is an emotive one, once mentioned, it will get a myriad of reactions, no two will be alike. Why? Because we all have our own unique relationship with it, it plays out differently for each of us in the way that it manifests itself. I believe that stress itself is not harmful but our reactions to stressful situations and thoughts are.
Stress in small quantities is good for us and a normal part of a balanced life. It is responsible for motivation, action, and completing tasks. It keeps us sharp and enhances our performance. Good stress or eustress makes us feel excited and alive! Whether we are playing hide and seek or going on a first date, our pulse will quicken, and we will have a surge of hormones all whilst having fun!
Stress is our body’s reaction to help us deal with pressure or threats. This is called the “flight or fight” response. If we were to step out in front of a bus, we would be exceptionally happy that our stress response had just saved our life! Without stress, you can guess how this all might have ended!
Both good and bad stress result in our body releasing hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol but what separates good stress from bad stress is our interpretation of the situation that we are in or anticipating an event yet to come.
Stress gets its bad name when it becomes an ongoing issue. Approximately 15 minutes after an onset of stress (take the bus just now) cortisol levels rise and can remain elevated for a couple of hours but should then decrease and level off. It is when we move into acute (short- term) or chronic (long- term) stress that it starts to have a negative impact on us emotionally, physically and mentally.
When looking at the physical effects of prolonged exposure to stress, studies have shown that “cortisol is a potent inflammatory hormone, and it’s dysfunction is likely to result in widespread inflammation following the reactivation of an acute proinflammatory stress response.” In short, being in a state of heightened stress over a length of time can create inflammation in the body which results in pain.
Stress itself is not an illness but it can leave us feeling fatigued and unwell, we carry its weight in our hearts, minds and bodies.
It just isn’t realistic to think that we can eliminate all stressful situations from our lives, life will always get in the way! However, we can overcome the behaviours and limiting beliefs that are responsible for fuelling our stress response. We can embody new calming and balancing techniques for our overstimulated nervous systems. We can find time to authentically connect with others, be in flow and have more fun. We can mindfully approach activities to prevent overwhelm.
If you would like proactive support that delivers a better quality of life, please reach out Contact
*Sorrells SF, Caso JR, Munhoz CD, Sapolsky RM The Stressed CNS: When Glucocorticoids Aggravate Inflammation. Neuron. 2009
