The Origin of Stress
Stress was already a natural phenomenon in prehistoric times that occurred in the body when there was an acute threat. The stress response ensures that the body is able to braid or flee in an emergency situation. After the danger has passed, the stress will decrease and the body will return to rest and recovery mode. The term 'stress' is now embedded in our vocabulary, but it only emerged in the 1930s by the Hungarian scientist Hans Selye. Stress can refer to the circumstances, stimuli or causes of stress, but also to the reaction or symptoms of stress in the body. Acute stress can be very useful, as it ensures that you can function as well as possible in a certain situation. Only when the balance between stress and recovery is out of balance, there is unhealthy or chronic stress, which exhausts the body in the long term. Since the experience of stress is very personal and depends on life experience, situation, age and physical and mental condition, everyone experiences the balance between stress and recovery differently.
What happens in your body when you are stressed?
When your body experiences stress, the fight or flight response kicks in and your body prepares itself for an emergency situation. We don't have to deal with physical danger that often these days, but the stress response can also be triggered by mental pressure, certain substances and additives in food, drugs, fear, lack of sleep, strong emotions or a multitude of stimuli from the environment. The autonomic nervous system is activated, which releases the 'stress hormones' cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline into the blood. Our heart rate increases as a result and blood circulation increases. Vital organs receive more blood, while less blood goes to the digestive organs. The stress hormones also ensure that we temporarily feel less pain and can tense our muscles better for more strength, energy and alertness. Our body is therefore in fact completely built for acute, short-term stress situations. However, when the stress persists for a long time, unhealthy, chronic stress can develop.
Reduce stress yourself easily and naturally
There is a lot you can do to maintain the balance between tension and relaxation and to prevent unhealthy stress. When you feel that you have a lot of stress, it helps to take a good look at what gives you energy in your life and what causes tension. You can then consciously choose to eliminate or reduce certain activities or situations that cause you a lot of stress. It also helps to talk about it with others, that will clear your mind and a different perspective can sometimes help you to find a solution for your situation. To reduce stress in general, it is important that you take good care of yourself and create a life rhythm with sufficient exercise and relaxation, in which you choose healthy food. You can also reduce stress by regularly engaging in meditation, yoga or breathing exercises. By incorporating such exercises into your routine, you help your body to relax more often and better and to clear your head, which means that you will experience less long-term stress and will also be better able to cope with acute stress situations.
