Six Myths About Stress

Six myths surround stress. Dispelling them enables us to understand our problems andthen take action against them. Let's look at these myths.

Myth 1: Stress is the same for everybody.

Completely wrong. Stress is different for each of us. What is stressful for one personmay or may not be stressful for another; each of us responds to stress in an entirelydifferent way.

Myth 2: Stress is always bad for you.

According to this view, zero stress makes us happy and healthy. Wrong. Stress is tothe human condition what tension is to the violin string: too little and the music is dulland raspy; too much and the music is shrill or the string snaps. Stress can be the kiss ofdeath or the spice of life. The issue, really, is how to manage it. Managed stress makesus productive and happy; mismanaged stress hurts and even kills us.

Myth 3: Stress is everywhere, so you can't do anything about it.

Not so. You can plan your life so that stress does not overwhelm you. Effective planninginvolves setting priorities and working on simple problems first, solving them, andthen going on to more complex difficulties. When stress is mismanaged, it's difficult toprioritize. All your problems seem to be equal and stress seems to be everywhere.

Myth 4: The most popular techniques for reducing stress are thebest ones.

Again, not so. No universally effective stress reduction techniques exist. We are alldifferent, our lives are different, our situations are different, and our reactions aredifferent. Only a comprehensive program tailored to the individual works.

Myth 5: No symptoms, no stress.

Absence of symptoms does not mean the absence of stress. In fact, camouflagingsymptoms with medication may deprive you of the signals you need for reducing thestrain on your physiological and psychological systems.

Myth 6: Only major symptoms of stress require attention.

This myth assumes that the "minor" symptoms, such as headaches or stomach acid,may be safely ignored. Minor symptoms of stress are the early warnings that your life isgetting out of hand and that you need to do a better job of managing stress.Adapted from The Stress Solution by Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D., and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D.