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What Happens When You Get Stressed?
Stress starts in the mind with a thought. When we are
stressed, it is because we have chosen to interpret this thought as a
threat. We have a negative emotional response to that perceived threatening
situation.
It's a bit like building a wall of pictures. The subconscious mind will
present each memory like a brick in the wall. As the wall is built from various
memories (some positive and some negative), we respond to the overall impression
of that wall.
If the emotional response is negative, the body goes on alert. Non-critical
physiological responses, such as digestion, are shut down. Critical responses,
such as pumping oxygenated blood to the arms and legs in preparation for fight
or flight, are ramped up. Chemicals, such as adrenaline and nor-adrenaline, are
produced to fuel us for the required response.
In times past when we were hunters and gatherers, it was this exact response that kept us alive. If we
were trekking through the jungle and came across a tiger, we needed to decide
immediately if this situation was a threat.
Once we had decided that this was indeed a threat, the body would go on "red alert" and we would fight
the tiger or run away. And herein lies the modern dilemma. We are still coming
across those "tigers" in everyday life. The difference is now we can't choose to
fight or flee.
Imagine you are in a high-powered board meeting fighting
for the survival of your project. You can't respond by punching somebody or
doing five laps around the Boardroom. However, your mind and body are still using
the process that in times past kept you alive.
We need to find an outlet
for releasing this pressure that has built up in the body. Fight or flight was
the release valve. Now we need to build in a modern day equivalent.
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Causes of Stress
