We are accustomed to fighting stress. Running away from it, numbing it, denying it. But what if stress is not an enemy, but a signal? A signal that we are alive, that we are not stagnant, that we are facing challenges. The problem is not stress, but our inability to work with it. It accumulates, turning into anxiety, insomnia, apathy. But there are ways not just to "endure" stress, but to transform it into a resource. In this article, we will discuss how stress is structured, why we fear it, and how to emerge from stressful situations with new experiences, not injuries. The Nature of Stress: Why We React One Way and Not Another Stress is an evolutionary mechanism. When our ancestors saw a predator, their bodies instantly mobilized: adrenaline was released, heart rate increased, muscles tensed. This helped to run or fight. Today there are no predators, but the mechanism remains. We react to deadlines, conflicts, financial problems in the same way as to a saber-toothed tiger. But the problem is that we cannot run or kill the problem. We get stuck in tension. And this tension, if not relieved, becomes chronic. It destroys health, psyche, relationships. Therefore, the first step to overcoming stress is to realize that your body is responding correctly, but to the wrong stimulus. And this can be changed. Three Stages of Stress: From Mobilization to Exhaustion The Canadian scientist Hans Selye identified three stages of stress. The first is the reaction of anxiety. This is when you have just encountered a problem. Adrenaline levels are skyrocketing, you are ready to act. The second stage is the stage of resistance. If stress does not disappear, the body tries to adapt. You work at the limit, but you hold on. The third stage is exhaustion. When resources run out, apathy, depression, diseases set in. Many of us live in the second stage constantly. We "hold on," but the price is the loss of energy, health, interest in life. Overcoming stress begins with timely awareness of w ... Read more