By Christine Ayala
Heart rate picks up. Thoughts begin to race. Breathing becomes more rapid. Tension builds in the jaw and throughout the body. Focus increases. Fight, flight or freeze?
This is what stress feels like. It is a physical and emotional response to pressure. The body’s stress response activates the sympathetic nervous system, which sends out a flood of hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine, increasing blood flow and alertness, while allowing for a quick physical reaction.
“When faced with challenging situations, it’s our way of preparing ourselves to respond to these situations and also protect ourselves from harm,” according to Headspace, Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation.
When facing real danger or harm, this response allows individuals to react quickly to escape, fight or hide. Unfortunately, the body’s physical and emotional response can occur whether the perceived threat is an actual life-or-death danger or a stressor like running late for an important meeting.
About half of Americans (49%) say they experience stress in their day-to-day life. Stress can triggered by many different types of stimuli ranging from injury to work-life balance.
These can include physical (pain), emotional (anxiety, fear and depression) and cognitive stressors (overwhelm and negative thinking patterns). These can also include situational factors like environmental (noise, crowded, pollution and extreme weather) and social stressors. This can also extend to stressors related to finances, major life changes, work, daily hassles and technology (digital overload and cyberbullying).
Stress can be experienced in an acute form (short-term), episodic acute stress (frequent bouts of short-term stress) or chronic stress (long-term).
“People who experience chronic stress … become more resistant to the signals that tell the body to ‘chill out’ … which leads to the adrenal glands over-producing stress hormones. If a stressor is long-lasting or intense, the body’s resources can become depleted, leading to
exhaustion or 'burnout.' When the body is chronically stressed, the increased production of stress hormones compromises the immune system and can lead to significant mental and physical health problems,” according to the University of New Hampshire’s Psychological and Counseling Services.
While stress is generally seen as negative, that’s not the whole story. There are two subtypes of stress: distress and eustress.
Distress is negative stress, what you’ve probably been thinking about up to this point. It can overwhelm people beyond the point of coping and is generally seen as physically and mentally detrimental.
Eustress is positive stress that can motivate and energize people. This kind of stress is generally beneficial, given that it can promote growth and achievement. It’s characterized more by excitement and increased focus.
"Eustress, in its best form, can induce a state of flow,” according to psychologist Catherine Moore. “Like eustress, flow is a focused state often induced by a healthy dose of challenge.”
When faced with a challenge, “eustress helps us stay motivated, work toward goals, and feel good about life,” says clinical psychiatrist Dr. Michael Genovese, which can be helpful in achieving career goals, advancing personal interests and hobbies, as well as improving physical health through exercise.
Christine Ayala is a health and wellness writer and content creator. She has more than a decade of reporting and editing journalism experience. She is certified as a personal trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). She is a strength athlete who has competed as a powerlifter, including at the USPA 2022 Drug Tested Nationals.
Comments