The science of stress

Portrait of young stressed woman sitting at home office desk in front of laptop, touching head with frustrated facial expression, having headache, overworked or depressed (iStock)

We all experience stress. Even the most seemingly Zen-like person, with not a worry in the world, has experienced stress. I can assure you that stress is an innate emotion, which everyone experiences from time to time. While there are many definitions of stress, I like to think of it as something that disturbs homeostasis.

Stress is not something that we should try to avoid as if it were some sort of unhealthy food. However, similar to food, there are good and bad types of stress – and even bad stress can be okay as long as it’s in moderation. The good type of stress, commonly called “eustress,” can be caused by working out, getting a promotion, planning a wedding, meeting deadlines, or competing in an event. Bad stress, also known as called “distress,” is the kind of stress usually brought on by problems at work or school, and major personal life issues such as a death in the family. Stress is most commonly defined as a psychological component of how an individual perceives a stressor. Of course, perception of a stressor varies from person to person. While the psychological component is huge, the physiological component of stress should not be downplayed either because it contributes more to our overall health.

Where Does Stress Come From?

Stress primarily develops from two sources: external and internal. External stressors include your job, getting stuck in traffic, personal relationships, and anything else (for the most part) you cannot control. Internal stressors, in simplest terms, come from within and derive from anticipation of upcoming events, fears, nutrition, memory, and sleep. Believe it or not, internal stressors are ones we can control, which is very important to keep in mind.

Source: Fix.com Blog