| Stress is a problem that exploded during the 20th | | | | on the chin. When the levels of stress become too |
| century and which covers a multitude of different | | | | much for a person, the result can be explosive rage. |
| symptoms. It is normally the result of too much | | | | This is usually the point when a person has endured |
| pressure being applied to an individual. There is no such | | | | multiple stressors, each releasing adrenaline, and their |
| thing as "good" stress; rather, people's lives are | | | | body is screaming for evasive or confrontational |
| enriched by being put under certain levels of pressure, | | | | action. The very modern crime of road-rage is a real |
| which enables them to move out of their comfort | | | | world example of the primitive natural instinct finally |
| zones, and grow as people. Without pressure, | | | | winning over the artificial tethers of social rule. |
| everyone's lives would simply roll along in endless | | | | Ironically - given that road-rage is illegal, and ruins many |
| boredom and more likely than not, also be a health risk, | | | | people's lives - the action response is the most healthy. |
| perhaps leading to depression. When the pressure | | | | Not releasing yourself from the grip of adrenaline is |
| gets too much, or the recipient feels they have been | | | | more dangerous, in an insidious way. It eats away at |
| cornered - figuratively speaking - the pressure then | | | | health, can lead to mental problems such as panic |
| becomes stress. So if you are a manager, this is the | | | | attacks, anger-management problems and depression. |
| time to take that foot off the gas pedal, and give the | | | | High blood pressure is more common in people who |
| other person a way out of the situation, in order not to | | | | bottle up their rage, rather than letting it all go. |
| impact their health and productivity, but also not to get | | | | The solution is a very simple one: make time, three |
| landed with a lawsuit. | | | | times a week, to do something violent! Find a martial |
| The health effects of stress are rooted in the innate | | | | arts club or a boxing club, and sign up. You can hit the |
| physiological processes that the human species | | | | punchbags and spar with other people in a controlled |
| evolved to counter threats of imminent danger or | | | | environment, where you will be safe. Just doing this |
| death - the so-called "fight or flight" response. The | | | | simple action will of course keep you fit; but it will |
| response is automatic, and pumps our bodies with | | | | enable your body to metabolise away the adrenaline |
| adrenaline, raising blood pressure and respiration rate, | | | | and other stress hormones in your blood, and release |
| and pumping this fresh oxygenated blood to our brains | | | | calming endorphins. The excellent thing about joining a |
| and limbs, for fast thinking and decision-making, or fast | | | | martial arts club is that, if it is a good one, you will get |
| running! | | | | all the exercise you need to appease your fight or |
| In modern day society, the types of response that | | | | flight response, but you will also get training in |
| would deal healthily with the adrenaline release of a | | | | meditation. So as you progress, you will have a hobby |
| stressful incident, are deemed to be unacceptable. You | | | | that keeps you fit, helps you to defend yourself, |
| cannot scream at people in the middle of a business | | | | enables you to control your stress, and if the stress |
| meeting; or fly across your boss's desk and start | | | | does get the better of you, the martial art also offers |
| strangling him. And you also cannot just run away | | | | an avenue - called a punchbag - to relieve that stress, |
| from a meeting. In other words, your automatic | | | | rather than keeping hold of it or releasing it in a place |
| biochemical responses fill you with chemicals designed | | | | where you really shouldn't! |
| for action, but society insists you sit quietly and take it | | | | |