what is stress?

Stress is any factor which affects mental or physical health, any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. When stressed, muscle tension increases and this causes poor posture, (for example, hunched shoulders or a clenched jaw) stiff joints and problems with the spinal vertebrae.

Stress is as old as civilisation itself; in ancient times stress would have been caused by the fight for survival, the need to hunt for food and survive in hostile or barren environments.

In our modern society we can often feel we are fighting to survive in a hostile environment — now there are many more, and more invasive forms of stress: from financial pressures, ambition, deadlines, expectations, noise, pollution, traffic and loneliness (where there is no family or community around a person). We are encouraged to want more, bigger, better; we strive for happiness and at times that yearning for something more, outside ourselves, creates more stress and unhappiness.

There are different types of stress:

  • Eustress – a type of stress that is fun and exciting and keeps us vital (e.g. skiing down a slope or racing to meet a date on time)
  • Acute stress – a very short term type of stress that can be either positive (eustress) or more distressing; such as dealing with road rage or a near accident.
  • Episodic acute stress – where acute stress seems to run rampant and be a way of life , creating a life of relative chaos.
  • Chronic stress – the type of stress that seems never-ending; like stress in a personal relationship, severe poverty or an extremely taxing job. (This type of stress can lead to burn-out)

This is what happens in the body, physically:
Stress triggers the body’s “fight or flight” response, which is needed where there is a threat of danger. In the short term stress will cause tummy muscles to tighten, your breath becomes shallow, faster and shifts into the chest.

The Sympathetic branch of the nervous system fires up, dripping adrenaline into the bloodstream, slowing digestion, speeding the heart rate, moving blood flow to major muscle groups so energy can be diverted to your muscles. This reaction can be due to an argument at home, a traffic incident, or a lion attacking you — the effect is the same! We then replay stressful events, in our mind, or by telling others about it, so we are not returning the body to homeostasis and calm.

The best way to deal with stress is to download it frequently, not allowing for a build up. Once we calm down, our tummy muscles relax, digestion restarts, our breath moves back to the abdomen area and the Parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system takes over. Our bodies are designed to return to normal after a perceived threat is gone, but in our times of chronic stress, this doesn’t happen enough, causing ongoing damage to the body.


Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it. -William Feather

The first physical symptoms of chronic stress may be headaches or increased susceptibility to colds; it can lead to depression, diabetes, hair loss, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, obesity, sexual dysfunction, tooth and gum disease, and ulcers.

First Things First
The first way to calm yourself when you are aware that you are stressed is by consciously controlling your breath. Breathing rhythmically as far up into the roof of your nose directly stimulates the olfactory bulb which in turn calms the emotional brain in the Limbic system — provided there is enough seratonin in the brain to link the emotional to the rational brain.

Consciously relaxing muscles sends messages of relaxation to brain and body — even pretending to smile or laugh sends a relaxing message to the brain and then the Parasympathetic nervous system is in charge, allowing body systems to return to homeostasis.

We also need to avoid stress, eliminat-
ing or minimizing stressful situations in our day to day lives. Each individual is unique and has their own reaction to situations — what one person finds a challenge, another person will find exhilarating – like speaking or performing in front of an audience.

This is where coaching helps — allowing you to become aware of what you can do to minimize anxiety in your day to day activities and to make clear decisions about how to achieve a happier, healthier life.

For Further Information
Download this helpful article:
The ABC of Stress Management  (PDF 232K)

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