Oh I'm so busy, is what we often say to each other. During the lockdown, it was a relief that we were finally not so busy. No Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and while of course for a lot of people the whole lockdown was stressful, for others it was a step towards a quieter life. How can we keep the good of the calmer life in the lockdown and keep the bad of the busyness out? After all, we need a little stress to function at our best, but if we are under too much stress, we fall into the big black hole of burnout. Today, we talk to stress expert Jan Jaap Verolme about our stress system and when stress is functional or not.
Jan Jaap Verolme is an expert on stress and burnout. He makes people and organizations aware of the causes and consequences of stress and how to prevent it.
Misunderstanding
The biggest misconception about stress is that it is bad. "We read and hear about burnout and stress very often in public discourse and it is always negative. That is understandable, but we also have to realize that stress is a very healthy system. The stress system functions well alongside our immune system, reproductive system and, for example, the digestive system. It is a system that also provides a lot of pleasure and enjoyment, but yes when it becomes dysregulated you get into trouble."
Fun and enjoyment
According to stress expert Jan Jaap, stress makes us better. He explains that in the past, people were already stimulated by light and dark. But today, we can live with 8 billion other people around us. This means that our stress system works well. "Otherwise, we would have long been eaten by bears, tigers or other elements."
Stress system
Our stress system causes us to go into a fight-flight or freeze response. As a result, we protect ourselves. In addition, stress makes us perform better. By feeling stress, blood pressure goes up, more oxygen goes to the brain and muscles allowing us to focus better. Performing better ultimately delivers pleasure in life. Suppose you want to hit on the prettiest girl in class, you experience stress. This causes you to try harder, which may result in success. And in the end, you learned from the situation again.
Links
More about Jan Jaap Verolme
The book 'Handbook for tackling stress'
More about the Working Professor
Do you have questions or input? Please contact Wendy van Ierschot at wendy@viepeople.com.
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