Why Do We Stress? Exploring Our Instincts

[viet_jon]

What do you think?I'm not referring to the situations that cause stress, but rather the more fundamental reason why we as humans stress?

I noticed lately that I stress immensely about grades. And the more I stress over it, the more I push myself to achieve better results. It get to this point where I can't take it anymore, and tell myself to stop stressing and worrying so much. Wherein I instantly feel better, but then my upcoming tests for the week suffer.

So is stress a built in mechanism to help push us to the limits to achieve the most we can? Is stress instilled in our DNA so we keep pushing ourselves to the limits primarily for the survival of our species?edit: pardon my literary skills. It's 2 in the morning, I can't think straight.

 

[robertm]

Stress is an evolutionary survival tactic. When there is any reason for anyone to be apprehensive about anything, our bodies are put into a very damaging over drive through a rush of hormones. When humans first developed, if they had something to worry about they were probably in mortal danger, in which case the 'sprint on a moments notice' nature of a stressful situation is a necessity. In today's world when all we need is to relax and let logic take over, the stress mechanism can be very harmful and actually drastically shorten our life spans.

We all go through that 2am crap viet_jon, but luckily, since we know its origins, there are ways of successfully managing stress. I suggest you pick up an old Psychology 101 textbook. Many have full chapters on stress. Best of luck!

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

I can say that the concept of stress is complex and multifaceted. It is a natural response that serves a purpose in helping us adapt and survive in challenging situations. Our instinctual response to stress can be traced back to our evolutionary history, where stress helped our ancestors to respond quickly to threats and dangers in their environment.

In modern times, this response can still be triggered in situations that are not life-threatening, such as worrying about grades. Our brains have not evolved to differentiate between physical threats and psychological stressors, so we may experience the same physiological response in both situations.

However, chronic stress can have negative effects on our mental and physical health. It is important to find healthy ways to cope with stress and manage its impact on our lives. While stress may have its roots in our instinctual drive for survival, it is important to recognize when it becomes excessive and detrimental to our well-being.