Asthepaceoflifecontinuestoincreaseinthemodernsociety,wearefastlosingtheartofrelaxation.Onceyouareinthehabitofrushingthroughlife,beingonthegofrommorningtillnight,itisveryhardtoslowdown.Butrelaxationisessentialforahealthymindandbody.Stressisanaturalpartofeverydaylifeandthereisnowaytoavoidit.Infact,itisnotthebadthingitisoftensupposedtobe.Acertainamountofstressisvitaltoprovideonewithmotivationandgivepurposetolife.Itisonlywhenthestressgetsoutofcontrolthatitcanleadtopoorperformanceandillhealth.
Theamountofstressapersoncanwithstanddependsverymuchontheindividual.Somepeoplearenotafraidofstressatall,andsuchcharactersareobviouslyprimematerialformanagerialresponsibilities.Othersloseheartatthefirstsignsofunusualdifficulties.Whenexposedtostress,inwhateverform,wereactbothchemicallyandphysically.Infactwemakeachoicebetween“flight”or“fight”.Inmoreprimitivedaysthechoicesmadethedifferencebetweenlifeordeath.Thecriseswemeettodayareunlikelytobesoextreme,buthoweverlittlethestress,itinvolvesthesameresponse.Itiswhensuchareactionlastslong,throughcontinuedexposuretostress,thathealthbecomesendangered.
Suchseriousconditionsashighbloodpressureandheartdiseasehaveestablishedlinkswithstress.Sincewecannotremovestressfromourlivesitwouldbeunwisetodosoevenifwecouldweneedtofindwaystodealwithitinorderthatwecanstayhealthyinmindandbody.