Home
>
Stress Management
>
Why Stress Is Not Necessary

Why Stress Is Not Necessary

We are not designed for long term stress.

It causes us physical damage.

Coping mechanisms disguise the problem, they do not solve it.

If you broke a leg would you develop a coping strategy to continue to live with the broken leg, or would you get the leg repaired.

Stress

A good day can sometimes be characterised by an event that occurred. An order that was won or a singular success that has put everyone on a high.

But life is not about singular successes.

We don't get married because there was one singular event that turned into love, we don't support our football team because of one goal that they scored.

The quality of our lives, the way we feel about ourselves is about an ongoing repeated series of small events.

If these events are positive then we will feel good.

If the sum of these events is negative then we start to feel bad.

The human body is a remarkable thing that is designed in all circumstances to protect itself.

When we become stressed the body has an automatic reaction to defend itself.

The reason is that the part of the brain that deals with logical thought shuts down. This allows all of the processing power to concentrate on one of two very simple operations.

Fight or Flight.

If this processing power computes that your chances of survival are better if you stayed put then your brain will decide to fight and prepare your body accordingly. If on the other hand your brain's assessment of the danger is such that your chances of survival are best if you run away, your brain will get revved up, point the body in the right direction and will concentrate all its power on making the flight successful.

This fight or flight reaction is necessarily of a short duration.

This is the emergency response during which short term damage to the body is accepted in exchange for the alternative which is non survival.

In fight or flight mode the body switches off the normal routine maintenance functions and is concentrating on pure survival.

Unfortunately our modern lives are not quite that simple.

Our day has become full of situations that cause us stress but for which we are not allowed either of our two natural responses.

If we are at work and the boss shouts at us for failing to reach a quota or for misplacing last months invoices, we are not allowed to run or fight.

Instead we are obliged to stand and listen until such time as the boss runs out of rhetoric or forgets why he started shouting in the first place.

This leaves a huge amount of unresolved stress which in our ancestors would be removed by an adrenaline fuelled activity such as fighting or running.

In the modern world, after the incident that caused the stress, we look for the release from the stress in different adrenaline fuelled activities.

We break something, we shout at someone else, we sabotage our work.

These actions are a direct result of being stressed and are our physiological reaction to the stress that we feel.

These are our short term reactions to situations that frustrate us and over which we have no control.

But during our working day the number of times that we are put under stress is increasing and there are only a finite number of opportunities to relieve that stress.

This leaves the body with a problem.

There is too much stress and not enough opportunity to relieve it.

The long term effect of stress on the body is physically damaging.

We are not designed to be able to manage stress in the long term.

Our bodies respond to stress in a way that can only be supported in the short term because stress is supposed to indicate an emergency reaction.

If the stress continues we begin to suffer damage to our bodies as a result of the extended time in a condition that was only ever meant to be used for short term emergencies.

We create real musculo-skeletal problems for ourselves as a result of extended stress which causes real sickness and long term absence from work.

If the stress that caused the problem that made us sick is still present at work then we will never be able to return to a productive life.

But the body has an answer.

In the modern work place, when we become frustrated we get angry that we are not allowed to do our job and therefore become stressed.

But we only become stressed if we care.

We all want to be able to do a good job because we want to care about what we do.

We want to able to say "Look at me I did that", we want to be proud of what we do.

If however we are frustrated in our ability to be proud by something outside of our control we start to become stressed.

The body at this point makes a choice in order to avoid the long term damage that continuous stress causes the body, the body chooses to switch off the stress.

The body does this by ceasing to care.

We can only get stressed if we care about the consequences of our actions.

The body by ceasing to care ceases to be stressed and therefore subject itself to damage.

This lack of care is seen by most as apathy.

It is a convenient label to stick onto a workforce to blame them for a failure to perform.

What we are seeing now is that apathy is not a function of the workforce.

Apathy is a function of the environment that has been created at work.

It is that environment that has caused the stress.

The bodies defensive reaction to the environment that has been created is apathy.

Apathy is therefore not the cause of the problems but a symptom of the failure of the environment.

If we change the environment and remove the stress such that staff no longer need to defend themselves against it by becoming apathetic then we have created the conditions that will allow people to start caring about what they do.

We allow them to take pride in what they do and ultimately allow them to take ownership.

Imagine the works manager by the gate on a Monday morning moaning to the maintenance supervisor about the quality of the staff that he has been given to work with.

"It makes me sick" he says "These guys come in here every morning and they switch off as soon as they step through that gate.

I know they do.

I see them at the weekend out shopping or at the football The same people are bright, energetic, motivated, animated and then they come in here and they deliberately switch off.

Look at them, their heads are down, they are not talking to each other, god knows when was the last time that one of them cracked a joke.

How on earth are we expected to produce anything with people like that?

The answer is that we can never expect to produce anything unless we can change the working environment.

By removing stress from the workplace we ultimately allow the workforce to start caring about what they do.

They will be able to take pride in their work and ultimately ownership.

When that happens their performance becomes amazing and even the accountants have to admit that it was the right thing to do.

Stop coping with stress, find the cause then root it out.

Peter A Hunter, Author of "Breaking the Mould, http://www.breakingthemould.co.uk

top rated cleaning service Lake Forest ..

In The News:

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.

Fake airline texts claiming flight cancellations are targeting travelers with convincing scams. Learn how cybercriminals steal personal data and credit card info.

Discover how iOS 26's new Adaptive Power feature automatically extends iPhone battery life by learning your usage patterns and adjusting performance intelligently.

New TikTok malware campaign tricks users into running PowerShell commands that download Aura Stealer, which steals credentials and authentication tokens.

Gaia Family offers fixed upfront pricing for IVF cycles with unlimited embryo transfers and financial protection, partnering with over 100 U.S. fertility clinics.

The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.

Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.

Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.

Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.

Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, beginning their journey to Mars with arrival expected in 2027.

Learn how to set email reminders on iPhone and Android so you never forget to reply again. Simple built-in features help you stay organized and on top of messages.

Discover how Apple's passkeys revolutionize Mac security by replacing vulnerable passwords with biometric authentication and encryption for ultimate protection.

New survey reveals 78% of parents fear AI scams targeting their kids, yet nearly half haven't discussed these threats. Learn why this dangerous gap exists.

Chrome now autofills passport and driver's license info automatically. Google's latest browser update adds official document support with encryption and user control.

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Electric vehicles overtake gas cars in total CO2 savings after just two years of driving, with emissions benefits growing over time as power grids get cleaner.

Louvre Museum reportedly used "Louvre" as password for surveillance system during $100M jewel heist. Learn how weak passwords put even famous institutions at risk.

Why Stress Is Not Necessary

Stress Management