Reasons to Reduce Stress

Stress is unavoidable, right?  That is a practical reality.  We can’t totally avoid stress as long as we are alive in this world.   We can reduce our exposure to stress.  We can counteract stress by doing relaxation exercises, yoga, exercise, meditation, and other things like biofeedback.

Why is it worth the effort to reduce or manage stress?  Here are a few reasons.

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Effects of Stress on Performance

Our nervous system is constantly at work partly as an interface between our mind and body.  It reacts to our environment, physical activity, and our thoughts.  It causes changes heart rate, blood pressure, blood circulation, contraction level of our muscles, our breathing, and many other things.  When the changes are appropriate and useful for the situation this is a very good thing.  When the changes are due to an overreaction related to stress then it can be harmful.   There are many ways that stress can cause problems with health and I have discussed these in other places.  Here I want to focus on effects on performance.  This type of negative stress reaction can happen with various types of performance including athletes, singers, speakers, students, business people, and actors to name a few.

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