A natural physiological reaction

• Back in the Stone Age, stress was above all a survival instinct, essential to protecting the species. It prepared the body to escape or fight when being attacked by hungry bears or predators of all kinds.
  Times have changed... Today, stress essentially has become a reaction to psychological pressure and is generally experienced daily. Otherwise known as the stress of modern life, people have learned to cope with it, some better than others.
  

• Faced with stress, our body's first reflex is to use every means it has to adapt both physically and psychologically. If we are able to respond to the situation without unnecessary fatigue we can move forward, pursue our goals, get on with our lives and be at our best. If, however, the situation gets overwhelming, our body will exhaust its defense mechanisms and our physical and intellectual capacities will suffer. Stress symptoms may then arise.
  

• Commonplace though not harmless, stress must be taken seriously because it can greatly harm our physical and mental health – especially in the long run. It is not a question of eliminating stress, because without stress there is no life, no motivation, no energy. What is essential is is to not let “bad” stress take over. How then, can we tip the scales towards “good” stress, the one that pushes us forward? By learning how to manage it properly.