On August 10th, Christy Goff, faced with speaking on such a vast subject as Stress, gave an encapsulated overview supplemented by an exhaustive handout.
Stress is anything that inhibits the balance among physical, emotional, and mental power. It can be external or internal. Physiologically, stress upsets the equilibrium among serotonin, a brain hormone concerned with feeling good; cortisol, an adrenal hormone and glucose, both concerned with the Flight or Fight reaction. This disruption can result in symptoms such as poor cognition, fatigue, depression, and exhaustion. In extreme cases, to wit, burnout, the stress factor(s) must be aborted, lest permanent damage ensue. At times, we need a little bit of stress to keep us going at optimal function.
The speaker posits that stress is treatable, entailing channels in the forms of physical activity, nutrition, and relaxation/sleep. She gave a rundown of the intrinsic benefits of each, and how to go about utilizing them. It is certain that she touched upon experiences of everyone in the audience.
For certainly, stress and coping mechanisms have been with us from early evolutionary times. It has been the property of all of us.
