Personal WellbeingServices

Guidelines on stress management

What is stress and how does it affect you?

The human being's body was created to respond to stressful or crisis situations in a certain way. This is know as 'fight or flight' mechanism. As illustrated below the body prepares us in a certain way to take on the challenge of certain high energy situation. The idea is for the body to adapt for a short period to give one the energy and protection needed to overcome the situation. Unfortunately in today's life we find ourselves not experiencing short busts of stress but continued stress. This does damage to our organs and arteries. Being continually in stress mode is like revving a car at top gear all the time, there is no doubt that the car's engine will burn out. In the table below you will see what the body's response to a stressful situation is, what the original benefit was and the effect or drawback that this response has.