One of the great enemies of the mental, emotional and even physical health of every ordinary person today is none other than stress. Headaches? It's stress. Tiredness and fatigue or muscle tension? Stress. Upset stomach? Stress. Sleeping problems? Stress. Acne, hair loss or menstrual changes? Indeed, stress. The answer to many of the medical consultations that are carried out and in different specialties. However, although it may seem like the cause of all ills, the reality is that stress is not always bad. In fact, its original function is the opposite.
Stress is a totally natural physical response, developed by the body as a reaction to a stimulus to help overcome it in the best possible way. Although originally it was directly linked to the wildest survival, today it is a push to deal with everyday problems. An exam, a work project, an important event. An injection of tension to stay alert and increase concentration. The problem comes when this stress becomes something that negatively affects the body. And that is what the so-called Hormesis effect is based on.
To talk about the Hormesis effect, it is necessary to go back to the figure of Paracelsus, a Swiss scientist and chemist from the 16th century, according to the psychologist Thomas Rutledge, who said the phrase: "The dose makes the poison." Since at that point of perfect balance is where the key to the Hormesis effect is found. What Paracelsus wanted to express with those few but precise words is that everything, even the most beneficial, may not be so to the wrong extent.
Consuming water and healthy food is fundamental and highly favorable for the body. However, if a lot of water is drunk at once or an excessive amount of food is ingested, it will inevitably have a negative effect, and may even have a fatal outcome. The same thing happens with stress, and the adaptation of the body to develop a tolerance to certain levels of stress is what the Hormesis effect supposes.
"A systematic process of progressive exposure to stress" causes adaptation results to be obtained gradually, explains the psychologist. It is a strategy to take advantage of that natural response of the body, which sharpens the senses and makes it more efficient. However, always within levels that are manageable and positive to function on a day-to-day basis. Without crossing the limit, that "dose", which causes stress to end up harming the physical and mental health of people, due to an excess of it and that it is not capable of managing correctly.
