Stress

The word stress is frequently used in our everyday communication to denote a negative situation or feeling. However, we have to debunk the myth that stress is always “a bad thing”. Stress actually refers to the process of restoring rest or relaxation after the various perturbations of every day life, called the stressors. Stressors can take the form of a single event (i.e. death of a spouse), or a sequence of small events such as conflicts at work due to a “bad boss”. Physical insults are also potential stressors, for example in people suffering from a chronic illness.

Whichever is the main stressor, our body has the capacity to activate a set of neuroendocrinal responses to cope with the derangement of our rest or tranquility, also called homeostasis. Collectively, these responses constitute the so called “stress response”.

This response imposes behavioral adjustments, mediated by the preceding neurohormonal changes within our bodies (i.e. cortisol increase in the bloodstream), that will hopefully help to cope with stress and restore homeostasis.

Traditionally, fight or flight or freeze (the “3Fs”) are said to represent the main behaviors related to the stress response. In humans, stress-related behaviors are extremely more complex, implicating memory of previous experiences, immediate and delayed reward seeking, cognition and emotions. In a nutshell, if these behaviors have a good outcome then stress is a “good thing” (also called “eustress”), otherwise distress ensues, causing various physical, emotional and mental symptoms in the short-term and even diseases in the long-term.

Collectively, these responses constitute the so called “stress response”. This response imposes behavioral adjustments, mediated by the preceding neurohormonal changes within our bodies (i.e. cortisol increase in the bloodstream), that will hopefully help to cope with stress and restore homeostasis. Traditionally, fight or flight or freeze (the “3Fs”) are said to represent the main behaviors related to the stress response. In humans, stress-related behaviors are extremely more complex, implicating memory of previous experiences, immediate and delayed reward seeking, cognition and emotions. In a nutshell, if these behaviors have a good outcome then stress is a “good thing” (also called “eustress”), otherwise distress ensues, causing various physical, emotional and mental symptoms in the short-term and even diseases in the long-term. Indeed, stress is an integral part of our everyday life and is associated with nearly 50% of the mental and physical diseases. Most importantly, stress is associated with the main non-communicable diseases (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, depression, etc.)

Indeed, stress is an integral part of our everyday life and is associated with nearly 50% of the mental and physical diseases. Most importantly, stress is associated with the main non-communicable diseases (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, depression, etc.) which are the most prevalent in modern societies. Interestingly, stress seems to account for many unhealthy lifestyle behaviors like binge eating, alcohol and tobacco consumption, or even may influence the way we drive a car or a motorcycle. Finally, work stress springs from various work-related factors causing a negative imbalance between work demands and reward, with many long-term health-related ramifications in the affected workers such as burn-out, depression, hypertension etc.

Having identified the burden that stress incurs on the overall health, Pythagorean Academia has designed and developed individual programs for stress management and health promotion, which embrace the particular needs of each person, and individual population groups. These programs concern healthy individuals (stress management, time management, workplace stress, etc.), as well as patients (suffering from hypertension, obesity, headaches, sleep disorders, cognitive or mental disorders etc.). Special parts of the population such as pregnant women, unemployed people or drug abusers are also addressed by our interventions.

The main goals of these courses are stress reduction, improvement of quality of life, well-being and satisfaction levels, self-efficiency, the adoption and establishment of healthy behavior, memory enhancement, reduction of drug consumption, and medical healthcare costs, in order to achieve better health for everyone.

Pythagorean Academia also advocates education, research and collaborations that will ensure the standard of excellence and the continuity of its actions.