chapter tenOur Brain and Stress
‘When stress is the basic state of mind, even good things stress us out. We have to learn to let go.’
SAKYONG MIPHAMHead of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage and Shambhala International (1962–)
ABOUT THIS CHAPTER
Stress is a highly subjective phenomenon and is different for everyone. We do not all find the same things stressful, and there is considerable variation in the way we each respond to stress.
With the pressures of today's world, stress is pervasive and the term stress is frequently used to describe numerous conditions. Most of us are so used to feeling stressed that it has become a norm that we no longer question. But, sadly, despite growing awareness in this field, many people still feel unable to discuss feeling stressed and feel ill-equipped to deal with symptoms they are experiencing.
There are different symptoms of stress, including cognitive, behavioural, physiological and physical indicators.
This chapter discusses the signs and impact of stress on our brain and body, and offers tips to enable us to deal with stressors in our world.
Part 1: The science explained
What is stress?
Stress is a biological and psychological response that we experience when we encounter a threat that we feel we do not have the resources to deal with.
Stress was first referred to in 1936 by Dr Hans Selye,1 a Hungarian endocrinologist.
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