It may help to make us more alert, energize us, or give us a motivational kick in the pants. Properly harnessed, stress can indeed work to our advantage at times. Aside from taxing the body, excess stress can also tax the mind and lead to poor health decisions, such as the abuse of alcohol or drugs or other self-destructive behaviors. Good Stress is a balance of arousal and relaxation that helps you concentrate, focus, and achieve what you want. Bad Stress is constant stress and constant arousal that may lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and worse.
Stress is epidemic in American life.
And while being under stress isn't always an accurate predictor of who will or won't burn out, it is certainly a contributing factor. Balancing work pressures and family responsibilities leaves many workers feeling burned out. The fact that psychological stress can trigger or alter the course of illness has long been apparent. Now, a whole field of research and study has blossomed to investigate the relationship between psychosocial events and the immune system. It's called psychoneuroimmunology.