Is All Stress Bad?

The fight-or-flight response is part of the general adaptation syndrome. In 1936 by Canadian biochemist Hans Selye, of McGill University in Montreal defined fight-or-flight. He published his revolutionary findings in a simple seventy-four-line article in Nature, in which he defined two types of “stress”: eustress (good stress) and distress (bad stress).

Once our bodies alarm is set off it releases cortisol.  Our body becomes mobilised and is ready for action. But there has to be a physical release of fight or flight, otherwise, cortisol levels build up in the body. This then  wreaks havoc on yourMind. Body. and Soul.

Eustress creates a “seize-the-day” heightened state of arousal, which is invigorating and often linked with a tangible goal. Cortisol levels return to normal once completion of the task. Distress, or anxiety doesn’t provide an outlet for the cortisol, and causes that fight-or-flight mechanism to backfire. Ironically, our own biology, which was designed to ensure our survival as hunters and gatherers, is sabotaging our bodies and minds in a sedentary digital age.