The Physiology of Stress and What You Can Do About It

With increasing information and the demands of workers to provide real-time responses, it is no wonder that stress is on the rise.

Stress is an everyday part of life. While we intuitively understand what stress is, a definition of stress is more elusive. Many theories of stress suggest that stress is a perception that the demands of the situation exceed our abilities to cope with the situation.

These demands and coping abilities may be real or imagined. This means that stress is an individual response. What for one person may be a source of excitement and joy, for another it may be a source of anxiety and stress.

I have a friend who just loves public speaking. He relishes the chance to inform people and show off his knowledge. However for a great many of us, public speaking is the number one stressor. What is happening here?

Well lets go to the biological level first. Imagine yourself being introduced by the MC and you are about to take the stage and captivate the audience. For many, this thought can lead to a sense of doubt, and we can start to worry about what we are going to say. At this point in time a signal is sent to the amygdala which activates the adrenal medulla and secretes stress hormones such as adrenaline.

This in turn leads the body to activate the 'fight or flight' response which results in the muscles getting tense, the heart beating quicker and butterflies in your stomach. Have you ever felt this way when you are about to give a speech? While this occurs, a slower signal reaches the cerebral cortex where the threat signal is appraised.

Often this stress response can be interpreted as a threatening situation, especially if you don't enjoy public speaking. As a result a red alert signal is sent to the amygdala and the stress response is increased. However, if the situation is appraised as not a threat then an all clear signal is sent to the amygdala, and the stress response subsides.

This appears to be what is happening in my friend. While he may have a sense of doubt or a little worry, which means that when the slower signal reaches the cerebral cortex, he is interpreting the signal as non-threatening and as such an all clear signal is sent to the amygdala and the stress response reduces.

My lucky friend appears to be re-interpreting his stress symptoms (heart pounding etc) as excitement. What I have outlined here are the points that stress management can have an impact on how you respond to stress.

Most stress management principles work on the theme or relaxing either your body or your mind. One of the first steps to getting the better of stress is to know what stresses you out. This can be done by keeping a stress diary. Knowing your stressors allows you to implement stress management skills into your life.