Stress is one of the most common problems that exist today. Its consequences for psychological balance and human health are terrible. But the fact is that popular fantasy is still full of myths related to this problem.
Myth 1: Stress is always harmful. In fact, there are two types of stress and one of them is helpful. This is theeustress; a level of stress that allows us to stay alert with all five senses activated, motivates us to work and be more creative. It is the stress that keeps us awake when we study for an exam or gives us those energies we didn't even know we had to tackle a long project. However, when eustress persists for a long time, it becomes distress. And this ends up causing both psychological and physical imbalances.
Myth 2: No symptoms, so no stress. In reality, the early stages of stress are asymptomatic but that doesn't mean that stress isn't there. Physical symptoms such as gastrointestinal problems, skin rashes or fatigue, begin to appear later, when the stress has been acting for months or even years. Obviously, the ideal would be to pay attention to symptoms on a psychological level, such as irritability and anxiety.
Myth 3: Stress is the same for everyone. While some psychologists say that there are situations that are stressful for most people, the fact is that each of us reacts differently to stress, in part because each person gives their own emotional meaning to different situations in life. What does it mean? That there are obviously particularly stressful situations, such as job loss, but that some experience them in a much more intense way than others, or even for someone a very stressful situation turns into a new opportunity.
Myth 4: Stress is everywhere, we must learn to live with it. It is true that many realities of daily life are difficult to face, such as economic problems, uncertainty, too many hours of work ... These situations generate a lot of stress. However, it is not correct to accept it as a necessary evil. There are many techniques for dealing with stress and there are more relaxing lifestyles. In fact, it is no coincidence that in recent years we hear more and more often about Downshifting.
Myth 5: The strategies you have always used to eliminate stress are the best. Some popular strategies are effective for fighting stress, but others are not. For example, one of the popular stress-reducing tactics suggests engaging in other activities that make us forget what is stressing us. In part, this strategy can be effective, but only if we replace stressful activities with activities such as yoga, relaxation, physical exercise in the open air ...
