Practical Mindfulness: Master yourself. Master your life. by Bierbaum Neil & Linde Dr Colinda

Author:Bierbaum, Neil & Linde, Dr Colinda [Bierbaum, Neil]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2019-06-18T16:00:00+00:00

The “What Is” of Stress

AS WITH anything in life, stress is not all bad. In fact, according to a statement from Colinda’s doctoral thesis, “Physiologically, the complete absence of stress is equivalent to death.” OK, so we’re not going there. Instead, as Colinda is always quick to point out, what you’re really driving towards is an optimal level of stress.

To quote her thesis—which measured stress and anxiety levels in cancer patients—again, “The aim … is to manage the degree of stress one encounters effectively, thereby functioning at an optimal level of arousal. Such a level would entail the individual being in balance, where stress is a positive resource versus a hindrance and precursor to illness.”

That optimal level of functioning has been defined by Hans Selye, the scientist often considered to be the pioneer of stress research. It’s defined as that point where stress, health and performance have all increased simultaneously and are at their peak. This may be seen as the positive phase of stress and is represented by the upward-sloping phase and topmost point of the graph in the related image. Finding and sustaining that optimal level, as you’ll see in Chapter 9, results in a state of flow.

The distress phase occurs when stress continues to increase, but health and performance decrease. This is the negative phase of stress that ultimately leads to burnout.

Your position on the stress curve is dynamic and varies according to the nature of stresses encountered and coping resources you have available to you.

Each person has a unique tolerance for stress which is determined by their unique genetic and social background and related factors. Each person also encounters a unique set of internal and external stressors, and experiences stress in a different way.

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