If we’re running late to an appointment and traffic is slow, we fell stressed. If we think the closed-door meeting in the conference room at work is about us, we feel stressed. If we’re worried that our spouse doesn’t love us anymore, we feel stressed. Stress is a reaction to something happening in our lives. Maybe it’s part of the fight or flight mechanism that has kept our species at the top of the food chain. Maybe the only problem with stress, is how much of it we experience. I felt stress when I was seven years old. I was more stressed in high school than in sixth grade. What does this mean?

When we hear the rattle of a snake, we become uber-alert and stressed. Is it a bad thing? It is, if we are still experiencing it two days later. But when it just happening, sometimes it’s a good thing. It’s alerting us that if we feel that vulnerable at work, maybe we should do something about it. If we feel that uncertain about our husband’s intention, maybe it’s time to confront him and deal with it head on.

Life has become more complicated because there are so many more moving parts to it. So many more things to deal with, communicate about and ultimately resolve .. or not. And the more we don’t or can’t resolve something in our lives, the greater the burden that carries over into the next day and the next week. Stress builds up like undone laundry. Eventually, you have to address it or it will pile up and bury you.

Stress is our reaction to a life that may be getting more and more out of our control. Let’s not blame ourselves for feeling it. That’s probably the smartest thing we could do. It’s alerting us that there is some real danger out there, that needs to change soon.