Psychiatrist and stress scientist Christiaan Vinkers of Amsterdam UMC explains this at the University of the Netherlands.
Stress is normal
According to Christiaan Vinkers, it is pretty normal to have stress from time to time. “Everyone has stress occasionally, and we even need it. For example, you can recognise stress by the pressure you feel just before a deadline. If you experience too much stress, you can ‘literally’ get sick, you get tired and exhausted.” But too little stress is not good for your health either, says the scientist. “You can feel displeasure, get bored or even get a bore-out.” That means you're stressed out by boredom.
However, according to Christiaan Vinkers, most people usually stay balanced quite well when it comes to stress. "That's because of our line of defence, our stress response." How you react to stress and what you can handle differs from person to person. Various factors then play a role, the scientist explains. Biological factors, such as your DNA, and environmental factors, such as an upcoming move or your financial situation, play a role.
From a useful response to overload
The body responds to stress by producing stress hormones. Vinkers: “Adrenaline helps you perform, and cortisol ensures you relax and unwind. This stress response is a mobile and dynamic process. If you experience too much stress and your stress system becomes overloaded, the resilience and mobility of that stress response are lost. You are then no longer able to respond well to stress.”
Is stress becoming too much for you? When you get to your 'breaking point', it can manifest itself in different ways, Christiaan Vinkers continues. “You can lie awake at night, you can be angry and irritable, you can get stomach aches or headaches. This could well become the straw that breaks the camel’s back. If you stress too much, you can even get into a burnout if you go on too long.” Fortunately, according to the stress expert, we often recover from that, provided we take the time to do so. His advice for stress? “Ask for help and be there on time if you are under pressure.”
