12. building relationship with sress...

​12.

Stress then is a subjective experience.
​How do I know I am under stress that is harmful to me?

Ok, let us start with biology first. This just helps us understand the physiological changes that we experience and then - how to use our physiology and psychology to help ourselves.
When we are dealing with an acute stressor - say, someone pushed us by accident on the street - we are activated - we freeze, fight or run away. But the situation is over pretty quickly and we return to normal functions.

When we are dealing with persistent stressors - an axis called HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands) comes into play. The combination of the activation of these keeps our body on high alert.

Eustress or positive stress, is a form and level that helps us respond to challengers, stay alert and actually makes us perform better.  Eustress is usually motivating and feels exciting. The situation feels challenging but also within our abilities.

Distress, on the other hand, arises when the situation starts to feel overwhelming and beyond our ability to cope. The negative effects of stress start to rise such as lower mental and physical capacity.

Chronic stress, an ongoing state of stress, is a result of continuous exposure to stressors, sometimes from the same, other times from different sources. Chronic stress weakens the immune system, causes weight gain, triggers sleep problems, exacerbates a number of problems.
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Burnout is the state of stress we talk about nowadays, as it combines physical but also emotional exhaustion. Burnout also comes with a sense of cynicism and detachment.  

Yes, I can relate. I have been under chronic stress before…
            And we mostly will be again. So it is good to build resilience.