We just need the right amount of it
When we talk about stress, we always portray it as the villain. And potentially the cause of every illness we don’t know the real cause of.
I remember a friend telling me about ten years ago that whenever she went to see her doctor, he always told her “It’s stress”, no matter what she was experiencing (headaches, bloating, cysts).
Of course, stress has a significant impact on our health, but when we talk about it in a bad way, we don’t take two essential things into account:
stress can be our friend if we have just the right amount of it,
both too much and too little stress are detrimental to our well-being.
Wait, what? What do you mean by too little stress?
Stress can be too much and too little
You know when the food you’re cooking is a bit bland, so you add a pinch of salt, and it’s OK, then you decide to add another pinch, and maybe another, and it gets too salty?
On the bland side of things, there’s too little stress, and we’re not OK; on the over-salted side, there’s too much stress, and we’re not OK. The trick is to learn what the right amount of salt, or stress, is.
What I was surprised to find out is that on either side of the spectrum, too little or too much, the things that happen in our brain are different, but the consequences are the same.
Let me explain what I learned about this topic when I studied Amy Arnsten‘s research during the Neuroscience for the Advanced Coach course.
Too much stress means feeling overstimulated, overwhelmed, overburdened… Well, we all know what that means, don’t we?
Too little stress, on the other hand, means feeling understimulated, bored, unmotivated, and apathetic.
What happens in our brain in these situations mainly involves the prefrontal cortex and the flow of certain hormones called catecholamines. Catecholamines include dopamine and noradrenaline.
When we experience too little stress, our brain produces a minimal amount of catecholamines, whereas when we experience too much stress, the flow of catecholamines is massive and constant.
What happens when you have too much or too little stress
In both cases — surprisingly — the effects are the same: foggy thinking, poor memory, lack of empathy, disorganization, poor decision-making, lack of inhibition, black-and-white thinking, short temper, and distraction.
On the other hand, when we have the proper chemical balance, the prefrontal cortex is fully able to regulate optimal executive functions: clear thinking, good working memory, planning, decision making, ability to think and understand abstract concepts, impulse control, and ability to focus.
Having just the right chemical balance means having just the right amount of stress — or stimulation, if you prefer — that keeps us alert and interested, producing short bursts of catecholamines.
As you may have guessed, the right amount differs for everyone, and we can all discover what’s ours.
So be present, be observant, be mindful.
It’s your turn to self-explore and discover
The next time you feel too stressed, take note: what makes you feel overstimulated? What does it feel like?
Again, the next time you’re feeling bored and understimulated, take note: what makes you feel this way? How does it feel?
Now that you know what your too much and too little conditions are, what do they tell you about your just right amount?
Let me know in the comments what you find out!
Want to explore with me?
Overwhelm and stress often come up in sessions with my clients, and we explore them together so that they can find their way to their just right amount. Want to start exploring with me? Schedule a chat, and we’ll talk about it.