What is Stress?
"Recognize when stress is getting to you and you can't control it, then get professional help. Start with your family doctor and see what resources are available."
- Dr. James Rossiter, Otolaryngologist with Columbia St. Mary's
Stress - it used to be a good thing.
Eons ago, in the dead of winter when game was easy to follow by tracks in the snow, men grabbed their spears and went out to hunt the hairy mastodons. It was dangerous, physical work.
Adrenaline and cortisol - the "fight or flight" hormones released by the adrenal glands when the body is under stress - made them more alert to predators. They were better able to react to the dangers of the hunt, less sensitive to pain and exhaustion and fully prepared to run when needed.
Today's parents follow the ruts of others' cars through the snow as they head off to the mall in a hunt for this year's hottest toy. But that same "fight or flight" hormone that kept our distant ancestors alive is not always the friend it once was.
The physical exertion that followed adrenaline release so many eons ago is missing in modern life. The engine gets stuck in high gear.
Stress is often just as much intellectual as it is physical. Many people regard a job interview as stressful, yet sitting in a corporate office is hardly the time to give in to the flight or fight reaction, no matter how tempted someone might be.
The same is true with all the little annoyances of this season, made even more stressful because our expectations for the holiday are often far too high.
Since controlling the stress response is important to health, the first step is recognizing the symptoms. Read more about the "fight or flight" response and symptoms of stress.
