What is Stress? Part 3

Can stress be good for you?

So what is stress? Is stress always bad? Can it sometimes be helpful- even necessary? How can that be?

It all depends on what you say it is.

We can mean lots of different things when we talk about stress. You could say my office is really stressful- meaning the situation is distressing. Your boss is too demanding or your colleagues are unfriendly.

Or you could say you're stressed when you feel the signs and symptoms of stress. Like getting headaches, neck pain or feeling anxious. In this case you're focusing on your reaction to the situation you find yourself in.

This second example is closer to the original definition from the father of stress Hans Selye. It's how you react to your situation.

And we all react in different ways. So you will experience a different amount of stress to everyone else in the same situation.

Sometimes this reaction can be helpful. It will help you perform better. So if you're singing in front of a live audience or giving a presentation at work its best to be more alert, more aroused than when you're at home on the sofa watching your favourite TV show. But not too aroused otherwise your performance quickly drops.

You're at your best when the balance is just right- when you're in the optimum performance zone. This is when stress is working for you.....

Think of it like this......

Imagine you're a sports car fitted with the latest super-charged engine. You're best suited to a nice flat road where you can easily run at high speeds. If you're a 4 wheel drive off-roader you wouldn't be able to keep up in that environment. But on a dirt track you'd leave the sports car standing.....

So why does this matter to you? How does it help you to deal with stress?

Well...

You know stress isn't all bad! Your stress reaction can be helpful as well as harmful.

You know the way you react is individual to you. So you don't need to go on the situation you're in. It's how you feel that counts. So...... the point where you move out of your optimum performance zone and tip over the edge into disstress is also individual to you. You might be in your zone managing dozens of people, always on the go, or maybe you need much less stimulation.

How can you tell if you have too much stress?

Watch out for the stress signs and symptoms when you think you might be tipping over the edge from helpful stress to distress.

If you notice these warning signs then try to pull back from whatever you're doing. Take a break- talk to someone, take some exercise or of course use the easy meditation techniques

Return from Stress Part 3 to What is Stress Part 1

Return from What is Stress Part 3 to Learning Modern Meditation

Photo at top of page by pussinthehood