We all have stress. So what is it, and better yet, how do we keep control of it??
What is stress?
Stress is a normal human emotion; it is how you react to the pressures – the stressors -- in your life.
We all have pressures to some extent or another. Therefore we all have stress. The goal is to minimize your reactions to the pressures and then you’ll feel less stress.
The good news is that stress management is a learnable skill. Although some folks have better predispositions to handling stress via their genetics, for the most part you can learn to handle stress, much like you learned your ABCs.
Stress is a DANGER ALERT! that goes off in your head. The number of bells, sirens, and flashing lights – the intensity of the ALERT – depends upon how you perceive the pressure (the stressor.) The stronger you see the pressure to be, the higher the alert!
Even more specifically, the stress ALERT is a false alarm. We’re all born with this system and it’s actually a good thing. But the scientific reason we have it is to help us in dealing with actual physical danger.
A physiological response is triggered when the DANGER ALERT! goes on. You’ve heard of it, it’s called “fight or flight,” and it’s the natural instinct that helps us to run from danger or stay and fight it.
It’s very normal to feel afraid when you are in real and immediate physical danger. In fact your body may get pumped up with adrenaline, which in turn may keep you safe, even alive.
But most of the time when we feel stressed there is not really a real or immediate danger. It’s a false alarm ringing in our heads. It’s like a fire alarm going off, but there’s no fire.