Explain in detail why stress is a normal reaction to a demanding situation - Essay Example

Stress and Stress Management s The body will always find a way of reacting to conditions that are not contributing to comfort and thereby leading to stress. In modern life, it is barely impossible to avoid stressful conditions due to work and hustles of daily life. Stress is a physical response evoked by hormones in the body that try to resist some of the pressure that is increasing within the body (Greenberger, 1995). Stress is emotional in nature but its side effects and symptoms are physical.

Research indicates that small amount of stress are good in life since it motivates and adds pressure on someone to work harder which is categorized under positive stress. In any demanding situation, we find ourselves having anxiety, fear or being nervous for one reason or the other. The body will respond to these situations by producing a hormone adrenaline, which increases the blood pressure, breathing rate, heart rate, and metabolism in addition to muscle tension. The brain identifies or senses these conditions and then sends a message to the organs such as the liver and other tissues to release energy necessary for overcoming such conditions.

Continued stressful conditions have negative side effects while simple doses of stress improve one’s ability to work under pressure. Our bodies have the ability to adapt to environmental changes that may lead to stress. According to Davis et al, (Davis, 1995) a relaxation response always sets in when the brain considers a situation as not dangerous anymore. At this point, he brain stops sending messages to various organs and tissues in the body. ReferencesDavis, M. R. (1995). The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook. 4th ed. Oakland, CA.

: New Harbinger Publications.Greenberger, D. &. (1995). Mind Over Mood. Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.