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Cognitive and physical stress are easy to understand. Cognitive stress occurs when we use the intellect to solve problems, too much causes brain-drain, fatigue, and poor intellectual performance. Physical stress is about the way we treat and use the body. Too much physical effort and we pull muscles or get worn out. Not enough, and we become weak and unhealthy. The wrong diet and not enough rest create unnecessary physical stress. We can moderate these stresses, but often environmental and psychological issues get in the way.
Environmental Stress
Environmental stress comes from our surroundings – atmospheric conditions, noise, smell, discomfort, pollution, the vibrations of the people around us, cultural norms, rules, and regulations. Excessive environmental stress causes fatigue, and distraction. It multiplies the effects of psychological, physical, and cognitive stress.
For example, a culture that promotes overwork increases cognitive and physical stress, leading to burnout. Ambiguity, irrational demands, and conflicting objectives and values increase psychological stress. A noisy environment makes cognitive effort more difficult. Difficult to deal with partners, co-workers, and neighbors are stressful. Comfortable physical conditions lessen cognitive and physical stress.
Psychological Stress
Psychological stress also multiplies the impact of the other kinds of stress. When you experience excessive physical and cognitive stress, the cause is psychological and/or environmental. Poorly managed psychological stress leads to errors of judgement, outbursts, withdrawal, overwork, fatigue, and even disease. It gets in the way of healthy relationships and detracts from optimal performance and wellness.
Psychological stress takes the form of worry, anxiety, self-judgement, and tension caused by fear of failure, and by clinging to impossible expectations.
With skill and patient effort, using meditative techniques, and a realistic mindset, the impact of psychological stress can be reduced or eliminated. The techniques include breath control, bodywork, mindfulness, and concentration practices. In some cases medication is needed.
The realistic mindset is founded on self-awareness, open-minded questioning of beliefs and biases, the ability to work with paradox and ambiguity, and the wisdom and courage to accept and let go.
Accept and Let Go
When you accept and let go, you reduce your psychological stress. For example, if you are worried or anxious about achieving a goal, you are wasting energy. Accept that you are worried and channel your energy to figuring out what you can do about what you fear. If there's nothing to be done, then why worry? If you can do something, why worry?
Psychological stress is the primary target. When we recognize and are better able to manage psychological stress, we can avoid the excesses that cause us to become stressed-out.
We may be able to reduce environmental stress by, for example, making sure expectations are rational, there is a healthy work-life balance, and the physical environment supports wellness and productivity. If you can't adjust your environment, then the trick is to accept and let go into doing what you can do, including finding a different environment.
Changing your mind to, say, stop worrying, and changing your environment can be stressful, if you expect to be able to do it before you are ready. Accept and let go into patient, persistent effort.
We can better regulate our physical and cognitive stress by applying breathing and body work techniques, taking breaks to rest and recover and changing our mindset. But that requires that we overcome the psychological barriers that keep us from doing it.
"Do your best, don't worry, be happy." Meher Baba
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