What is stress and why we shouldn't.

[Kriminal99]

This is an introspective approach.

Stress as anticipation of future loss

I have noticed that stress is the anticipation of future loss that prevents us from accepting current or recent loss. Let's say a teenager needs to find a job to pay for car insurance, or else they will lose their car.

The teenager does not get hired after an interview, which is a form of loss. He starts to go through the "five stages" but cannot simply accept it because doing so means that he will lose his car in the future. So he gets stuck repeating them every time he thinks about it. Hence: stress

This is damaging to the human body, and is fairly unique to intelligent beings who are so good at anticipating future events. We are not meant to experience this loss cycle continuously, rather it is meant to motivate behavioral response in single situations.

What can be done

Two things can be done in general to deal directly with stress:

1) Consider that there is always a way to bargain for what you want (unless what you want is selfish). It may require you to bend in ways you normally wouldn't and be open minded towards things you normally wouldn't consider. Where there is a will there is a way. Focus more on the happiness you will feel when you accomplish your goals and how you can find a less obvious path to get there.

2) Confront the resulting losses early In the above example, if the teenager realizes it is not going to kill him if he can't drive around on his own, then it won't kill him if he loses his car, then it won't kill him if he doesn't get a job right away.

If you confront and accept all losses that could be caused by a current loss, then you can finally accept the current loss and stop stressing out about it.

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. No matter how bad you think a loss could end up being in the long run, there are people who are worse off. And if you are that person fighting for access to feces/disease infested riverwater that will probably eventually kill you in addition to hydrating youin an overpopulated undeveloped country, well then at least you aren't dead yet.