Stress - from health to disease
Is stress only unhealthy?
The short answer is no. Short-term stress is not harmful but can actually be healthy and helpful when we need to solve complex tasks and perform well. In some cases, it is very appropriate for the brain to sharpen our attention and senses and help us perform to the very best of our ability.
The stress response can also sharpen our ability to reflect on and analyze whether something is good for us, or what is really at stake in social relationships and contexts. But if stress becomes prolonged or chronic, it can be life-threatening. Prolonged stress can, among other things, suppress the immune system and cause permanent physical damage to the body.
Studies show that optimal stress levels are associated with better health. Therefore, the question is not how to get completely rid of stress, but rather what is my optimal stress level?
Whether stress is good or bad depends partly on how much you demand of yourself or how much others demand of you in combination with how many resources you have available and much influence or control you feel of the situation.
Stress is therefore a token of an imbalance between demands and resources.
