Excessive stresses!

Lets talk about stress, because this is what causes all of the problems in someones body. Yes, all of the problems. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say "excessive" stress, as we all experience stress on a daily basis. In a nutshell, stress is merely a change from where you are now. When we move, think, laugh, cry, cough, change positions, eat- these are all examples of stress, because we are changing our thoughts, bodies or biochemistries. These are the three areas where we experience stress, also known as the three dimensions of life; the emotional, physical, and biochemical dimension.

Now most of us think of stress as bad, but the reality is that stress is happening to us at all times. As it is merely a change, those changes can be for the good, which is technically termed "eustress" or for the bad, "distress" (Our attitudes or perceptions really determine whether they are bad or good, but that's a topic for another post). Either way, our bodies are stressed. We need stress to grow and survive, and to thrive. Exercise, for example, is a "eustress", but even difficult situations (distress) are often needed for us to learn, and do things differently and for the better.

Our systems are set up to handle a certain amount of stress, and as long as we stay within the boundaries of those limits, we stay healthy. In my line of work, we call that your "adaptive potential". If we stay within those boundaries, but push at the limits, this actually expands our capacity to handle more stress. Again, think exercise- we might not be very good at a sport, and to push ourselves when we first begin training is often exhausting. But with a little time, we gain strength and can easily do what previously was difficult.

However, if we exceed our "adaptive potential" and go beyond our limits of handling stress, we reduce the boundaries of our "adaptive potential". Have you ever had a day where a lot of distress is happening to you? Say it starts in the morning, where you wake up late, get to work late, get an earful from the boss, have a poor day at the office, and then, when you get home, your partner or friend jokingly gives you a little grief, but you take their head off? You know, in your mind, that the comment from your partner or friend normally wouldn't irritate you, but by this point, your ability to handle that little bit of stress has been reduced, as well as your patience.

Our wonderful bodies are capable of healing from these "over stressed" days. Sleep, good food, and exercise are great ways to increase the adaptive capacity again. But severe overloads, like a trauma, or prolonged excessive stress, don't allow our bodies to recover, which then begin to break down. Hans Selye, for anyone who has ever studied psychology or sociology, wrote extensively about stress, and elaborated about our exposure to excessive stressors in his "General Adaptation Syndrome". He observed three stages; Alarm - where the excessive stress is first identified, Resistance- where the stress continues, and the body uses it's resources to cope, and lastly, Exhaustion- where the body no longer has the resources to deal with it, and starts to break down.

The easiest way to determine if you are under excessive stress is if you are experiencing any health concerns, or any symptoms. You would then be in the "exhaustion" phase. However, you don't have to wait until your body breaks down to determine if you are in overload, like within the "resistance" phase. I utilize some very sensitive equipment that measures the levels of stress you might be experiencing, before health concerns begin.

The big issue is that stress, and even excessive stress, is very present in these times. The key to wellness, and lasting good health, is to not only avoid situations that will overload your capacity to deal with stress, but to constantly expand your adaptive potential. We'll talk a little more about how to increase your ability to handle more stress with the next post.