What is the difference between physiological and pathological stress, and why is this distinction even relevant?
In our increasingly fast-paced and complex world, stress-management has become a collective societal priority. It affects us all. Our busy schedules, hours of Zoom calls, the bottomless social media feed, social plans, walking the dogs, family commitments, our careers or studies (depending on one's life stage), tonight's dinner, messages to reply to - oh, and the gym.
Everyone has their own unique internal and external pressures. Some pressure is good, healthy, in fact. We have coined this: 'physiological stress'. When we undertake a challenging task, push through a workout, learn a new concept, we are 'stressing' different aspects of our own physiology. This is the medium for growth and development, and is fundamental for human health.
This is NOT the same as 'pathological stress'. When we talk about this form of stress, we refer to those things that impair our productivity, sense of well-being and the capacity to function at our best. Overwhelming pressure at work, sickness, financial strain, poor sleep, tense relationships, anxiety - are all examples of stimuli that can act to produce 'pathological stress'.
I find that making this distinction proves very useful when I have to decide how much mental and/or physical effort I am going to expend in my response to a particular pressure. Note that I am definitely not an expert in this space - just a student. But I see how valuable it can be to categorise the 'stress stimuli' that confront us daily, so that we can respond effectively and move forward.
Example: Breathless after the first 2 km of jogging (happens quite often) - likely physiological stress - best to continue to build up some fitness and resilience.
Remember that by definition, 'stress' is simply the response to the 'stressor'. It is therefore totally in one's own control as to how to react to the stressors - both the physiological and the pathological.
So next time you are under pressure, think to yourself: is this physiological or pathological? Then, decide how you are going to respond.
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