Stress, put simply, is our resistance to circumstances and events as they are. Most people believe that stress is something that happens outside of their control like getting a flat tire or losing their job due to their company’s mismanagement of funds. They would be partly correct in this assumption, except that it is not the circumstance or event that causes stress, but rather the person’s reaction to the circumstance or event that prompts or causes the “stress response.”
The stress response releases “cortisol” (stress hormone) and activates the “fight or flight” responses causing one to experience heightened feelings of anxiety and fear. Prolonged stress decreases immune system functioning and deteriorates a person’s quality of life. Stress can be alleviated by practicing the art of acceptance as taught and discussed in therapy sessions (with Elle). Stress can further be alleviated by practicing “detachment” by learning how to deliberately respond to circumstances rather than to react to them uncontrollably.
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