In a world that rarely slows down, stress is a word that is familiar to everyone. From young to old people, everyone has felt or keeps feeling the effects of stress. However, despite being such a widespread phenomenon, there are a lot of misconceptions that prevail about stress and how it can be handled in a way that would ensure both physical and mental well being.
One of the most common things that is heard about stress is that it is always bad for you. While it is partially true, studies have shown that sometimes the strain can help one perform better in certain situations.
As reported by The Guardian, “stress is central to the human existence, and its most obvious and visceral manifestation – our fight-or-flight response to immediate threat – has evolved to protect us from danger.”
There has also been evidence of this extreme distress helping people to concentrate better. For instance, a study conducted on a bunch of video game players showed that the ones who did not show any rise in their cortisol levels performed worse. Those with the highest increase in their cortisol levels did moderately and the winners had some extra cortisol though it was not too much.
Another popular conception about it is that it originates from big worries. However, it is not true. Often everyday worries about small things and tasks of daily life lead to big amounts of stress. Moreover, the conception of minor and major stress is different for everyone as not all people have the same threshold of tolerance for this situation.
Therefore, what strains out one person hugely might appear to be a minor issue to others. However, that does not mean that the experience of extreme fatigue that the person is experiencing is invalid.
It is also heard quite often that exercising helps in reducing stress. While it might be true to some extent, exercising is not always helpful in intense situations.
As The Guardian reported, “There are endless studies showing that physical activity can alleviate the symptoms. But other research has shown that very high-intensity exercise can worsen matters. One study put volunteers through either a grueling mock job interview process or a physical test using a stationary bike. While post-test questionnaires showed those in the latter group perceived themselves to be less stressed, their cortisol levels were higher, and stayed so for hours after.”
A lot of people seem to think that it results in weight loss. While it is true that some people do shed some pounds under chronic stress, around two thirds of people put up weight when under extreme distress.
Various studies have shown that this situation often leads people to make unhealthy eating choices, which ultimately leads to weight gain. Moreover, studies have also revealed that consistently high levels of cortisol might lead to fat accumulating around the stomach area, which would naturally lead to gaining weight.
It is therefore not possible to make generalized assumptions about this mental strain because it creates different impacts on different people’s bodies. While maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and some physical activities may help one to keep their strain under control, it is best to seek expert advice if the stress persists and continuing day-to-day work becomes difficult for the same.
