Trying to answer this question already requires identifying what generates stress and what has been put in place to deal with it. Are we all equal when it comes to stress? No, without a doubt! No one is immune to finding themselves in a turmoil for good reasons related to a personal, professional or even health context.
Stress is a reflex reaction, both psychological and physiological, of the organism in front of a difficult situation or one perceived in this way, which requires adaptation.
Some situations can be stressful (exams, work, speaking engagements, job changes, competitions, etc.). Indeed, when we engage in certain actions, success or failure are potential and do not always depend only on us.
What is considered stressful varies greatly from one person to another. Stress does not depend so much on the intensity of the action, but on the person's perception of the situation, the risks he or she is taking and the possible fears generated.
Negative stress, positive stress
Stress reactions are normal and useful. In many situations, we speak of "good stress" when it allows the person to maintain or even exceed his or her performance level. In this case, the stress would help to stimulate motivation, to better judge the parameters of the situation and to prepare oneself accordingly, like athletes in competition.
For other people, stress reactions are so intense or long-lasting, even in everyday situations, that it interferes with their social and professional functioning and leads to avoidance or even health problems.
Stop stressing! A paradoxical injunction par excellence
The people around them, often very concerned to see a person caught up in a frantic rhythm, will not stop saying: "Stop! You're going to lose your health!
Are we always aware of the situation we are in? Do we always have the desire or the means to get out of it? There is no good answer to these questions because it is a personal journey. The levers to activate can be very different from one person to another.
Gain in serenity, act on your stress
To gain serenity, many approaches are proposed that require little or no time or money.
How do we explain the fact that the population's stress levels are constantly increasing?
Some people are sometimes caught in a reflexive (thinking), processive (emotions) battle: "Anything but stopping! I have to hold on because I am committed and I love my job." These conscientious people are willing to give everything for their job.
In the short and medium term, reason can prevail, we are able to hold on and manage the situations that come our way. However, the risk if we do not listen to what our body tells us is that it rebels. Moreover, some people become experts in taming their symptoms and think that by managing to control them, they will be able to keep going. However, this is precisely what causes them to lose control.
In this situation, there are two alternatives
You can continue to give a lot and this will have an effect on your health. Of course, when you come back you may have a less interesting job, but you will still have your image of a highly involved person, which is very important to you.
You can also say to yourself that this is enough and then start saying no. This is risky because you will lose your image as a committed person.
For other people, the fear of being in a situation will cause stress. If we take the example of public speaking, this situation can be stressful for many of us. However, for some, the stress generated will be stimulating while for others it will be petrifying. It will bring out everything that can be feared (stuttering, blushing,...).
Sometimes, simply announcing that one is "stressed" by a situation rather than repressing one's anxiety deprives the symptom of its symptomatic quality: the stress dissipates.
In our jargon, these are called solution attempts. A problem is a difficulty that we maintain by trying to find a solution that does not work, in other words, doing more and more of the same thing. The proposed solutions are the opposite of what has already been put in place, in a 180° turn.
A pause
The health context has forced many of us to take a break. This change of pace has allowed some of us to realize that our daily lives can be stressful in terms of pace or responsibilities and to take steps to regain control of a daily life that was slipping away from us in order to aspire to a better symbiosis of our private, family and professional lives. Shouldn't we allow ourselves a little time to think about things differently?
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