What causes stress?

The good news is that stress is normal!
The human race would not have survived without it.
We have a fear hormone released in the part of the brain called the amygdala which releases a hormone to create all the things we need to do to run away or fight.
Stress is defined as an imbalance between the demands perceived to be placed on someone and the resources perceived to be less than required to deal with the demands.

Why the stress reaction occures is automatic in our subconcsious and based upon a BELIEF the belief that we are in danger or under threat.
That belief is based upon a lot of different reasons or causes.

When I teach about stress I teach people how it works, how to recognise the symptoms in themselves and then in others and then we look at all the causes.
There is a complex variety of causes.
But the main hormone or the stress hormone is cortisol released in the adrenal gland.

Cortisol levels fall much more slowly than adrenaline levels, and have an effect on a receptor in our immune cells called Telemeres.
Telemere receptors are blocked and act as clocks in the immune system cells, so the life of the immune system cells is reduced and the immune system is lowered and more prone to illness.
Students often develop colds and flue during examinations, and our systems seem to go into collapse after long periods of constant adrenaline rushes, or constant stress.
So often when we take a few days holiday we might feel exhausted or even develop a cold or flu.
Learning to switch off and take regular breaks is important.
But causes of stress fall into a variety of categories. The main ones are:-

1) Ancestral or genetic make-up, type of personality for example
2) Family and childhood experiences
3) Traumatic experience
4) Emotional/relationship
5) Physical
6) Type of profession and additionally work related factors.

Symptoms or signs are many and not exclusive to stress. Also causes can be multiple, stacked or isolated.
Legel requirements for companies are complex too.
We should all take personal responsibility and remember to take some time out for ourselves every day to just stop and chill.
To know more about personal stress, work related, illness related including how this affects other people etc.

Or for any training issues, including a first free half hour session for seniorj management or small groups call me for a chat or to book an inital free training session.

More detailed PDF fact help sheets for a small charge will be available in the near future.
WATCH THIS SPACE!