Newsletter

Stress in the Young2024-12-16

Environmental adversity that is perceived strongly as a stressor (Hostile Environment Perception Syndrome, HEPS), affects current happiness, hopes for the future, and the meaning of it all. The young are particularly prone and vulnerable to it. HEPS can also disrupt the body and mind (anxiety, mood and cognition), makes individuals susceptible to suicidality, and/or to addictions as a maladaptive way of simulating success, and negatively impacts the cohesiveness and culture of a group.

Bodies, minds, and cultures that are rigid, weak and vulnerable to perceiving stress as a negative (victimhood mentality) get easily disrupted and fragmented. In turn, disrupted bodies, minds and cultures can lead to less than optimal feelings, thoughts, decisions, speech, actions and behaviors, such as procrastination (too much paralyzing thought) or impulsivity (bypassing thought, going from feelings to action); hoarding and being isolative, or succumbing to immediate gratification (addictions). All these lead to additional stressful life interactions. A positive feedback loop (vicious cycle) is thus created. The outcome is a despondent, drama and tragedy-filled life. Weak inside, whining outside, victim mentality.

In contrast, bodies, minds, and cultures that are flexible, strong and resilient to stress, perceiving it as a positive in the long term (victor mentality, antifragile) can better handle life events and find them helpful, become stronger with adversity in a ratchet-up type fashion, are comfortable with delayed gratification, take action in a deliberate way, are affiliative, and in turn have smoother life interactions. A different type of positive feedback loop (virtuous cycle) is thus set in motion. The outcome is a successful, smooth life. Strong inside, smooth outside, victor mentality.

The key then to self- improvement approaches is to acknowledge the past shortcomings, learn and improve from them, and let them go (“say hi, and bye”). For the future, it is important to encourage our youth to make the body and mind flexible (for example through yoga and meditation), strong (for example through weightlifting, aerobic training, good nutrition and sleep) and competent to deal with challenges (for example through competitive sports, martial arts, and positive thinking). To become bigger and better than any potential challenge!