Stress is now a major problem in many countries around the world. Some people say an element is beneficial, whereas other say that it is the cause...

Stress is a necessary biological function of the human body that helps you perform at your best. Although it has also been shown to cause ill-health. There is now an apparent contradiction. What is the balance between beneficial and harmful stress?

A positive effect of stress is that in people’s lives it can aid them in working at their best. Increasing of body functions such as heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and blood sugar all intensify the body’s alertness and strength. These functions are part of your body amazing emergency response system. These functions prepare you to deal with the stressors in your life allowing you to function at your peak.

Another positive effect of stress is the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response. Emergency situation cause your body to need increase amounts of blood, oxygen and food to support your muscles in either fighting the danger or escaping from it. “Stress aids survival, especially in cases when extraordinary effort can overcome real physical danger. Stress prepares the body to fight against or to escape from danger. This so called fight-or-flight response was particularly useful for prehistoric people who faced life-threatening predators”. (Ronald, 2014). The experience of Steve Kux and Warren Everal shows how amazing our emergency response system is in our bodies. When Steve Kux’s helicopter went down and Kux was pinned underneath, his co-worker Warren Everal lifted the 1500 kg helicopter off of his friend’s body. The extreme stress Everal’s body was under caused his adrenal glands to mass produced epinephrine in that moment allowing him to display ‘superhuman’ strength. His emergency response system activated due to stress permitted him to save his friends life.

The other side to s...

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...l pay the price with our bodies, for our own sake we need to find a healthy balance.

Works Cited

Kuslikis, T (2012, January 05). Superhuman Strength During a Crisis – Extraordinary Feats of the Human Body. Ashotofadrenaline.net. Retrieved March 07, 2014 from http://ashotofadrenaline.net/superhuman-strength-during-a-crisis-extraordinary-feats-of-the-human-body/

Gutierrez, C. (2012). Stress an Insidious Danger to Body and Mind. For the Record, 24(18), 22

James – Enger, K. (2013). Stress Management for All Ages. Vibrant Life, 29(5), 6-8

Benson, H & Casey, A. (2011) Stress Management: Approaches for Preventing & Reducing Stress. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Health Publications

Smith, A, D & Miller, L, H & Rothstein, L (1994) The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life: Pocket Books.

Stress – Keys to Managing It, (2014). Awake! 95(5), 4-7