For a great many people
today, stress seems to be literally taking over their lives. We talk about
being stressed, needing to de-stress or to simply go somewhere away from
stress.
This is really not an
accurate picture of stress. Stress is not external; it is internal. It is
created entirely by our own thoughts and is your bodys response to what is
seen to be something harmful. This could be something very real, like a
horrible boss that is always yelling, or it could be something perceived but
not real, like a fear of failing even though you are very good at what you do.
Stressors, those things that
trigger our stress, are external. They may be based on our financial situation,
changes occurring in life, employment problems, relationship problems or even
threats to our place in the world around us.
Stress, in some situations
and in some levels can actually be effective in protecting you or even in
making you perform better. Stress, at elevated levels, is very damaging.
Understanding why some levels of stress are helpful and some are mentally and
physically damaging starts with taking a closer look at just what stress really
is. By understanding the mechanism of stress, it is easy to see how chronic
levels of high stress result in significant complications for anyone.
The Stress Response
The stress response is the
body's way to try to deal with a perceived threat or something that is harmful.
While this may have originally been a physical threat to our early ancestors,
today it may be a threat at work, a threat in a relationship, or even in
imagined threat.
When the body senses a
threat of any kind, real or imagined, there are hormones released by your body.
These are the hormones that speed up some systems and shut others down. They
speed up the systems to allow you to fight, flee or to freeze, all responses
needed to provide protection for a physical threat.
There are many different
hormones released, but the two most important are adrenaline and cortisol.
These speed up your heart, tighten muscles, increase blood pressure, speed up
breathing, and increase your ability to see, hear and smell. At the same time,
some systems, such as your digestive systems and some higher order thinking
processes are shut down, diverting all your body resources to the flight, fight
or freeze response.
This response is reversed
when the stress is perceived to have gone. The body systems return to normal,
adrenaline and cortisol production stops, and the systems switched off turn
back on again.
Chronic Stress
When individuals are
chronically stressed due to busy schedules, work demands, balancing a home and
career, life changes, financial problems, difficulty in making decisions or any
number of challenges, the body stays constantly in the fight, flight or freeze
phase.
Once you are already under
stress, even small irritations or challenges can become major stressors. For
example, if you are worried about work or a relationship and then also find
yourself in a traffic jam, the traffic issue may suddenly go from a minor issue
to a huge problem. You may find yourself with a racing heart, sweaty hands and
feelings of extreme anger and irritation that are out of proportion to the
issue.
The Effects of Chronic
Stress
Being in a constant state of
fight or flee is exhausting both physically and mentally. Your body becomes
drained, your hormones are not in balance and you are not thinking or acting in
a way that is healthy or helpful.
Chronic stress leads to all
types of health issues. Without treatment, stress may result in:
Memory and concentration problems
Sleep disturbances
Anxiety
Increased risk of illness
Irritation and anger
Chronic headaches and body aches and pains
Lack of sex drive
Development of addictive behaviours
Cardiovascular diseases
Hypertension
Digestive disorders
Depression
Calming Yourself
Stress can be very
effectively treated through counselling and psychotherapy. Determining and
identifying your triggers, your stressors, and then leaning more effective and
healthy ways to cope with them will help you to avoid stress from taking over
your life in the future.
Online stress counselling
To those looking for stress
counselling in Paris, in the Ξle-de-France region, or anywhere else in France,
we offer online stress counselling sessions via Skype or WhatsApp.
Our approach
Treatment for stress can
include therapy or counselling, combined with a range of different holistic
treatment options.
In the holistic approach to
stress treatment provided by Philippe Jacquet, you will also look at lifestyle
changes that can help you to naturally relax and de-stress. This can include
eating healthy, regular exercise, massage therapy and the amazing benefits
offered through yoga.
Book a session online from
France
If you need help to better
deal with stress, get in touch by phone (+44 7809 668193) or email. We will get
back to you as soon as possible.
