So recently I had the unfortunate perceive of being stuck at Barcelona airport with a return flight booked right smack bang in the middle of the French air strikes... Not planned I assure you!... So in true positive style I took the stance of development the most of the free time; grabbed a coffee and found a comfy angle to chill in, in my head I knew that there was nothing else I could do to change the situation so why not take some time to enjoy a coffee and read the magazine I'd bought with me and still not finished!
All I could think of as I watched every person running around, raising their arms in the air and arguing was how amazingly fragile, explosive and out-of-character habitancy can be once their 'stress-reaction' kicks in, approximately anyone that takes us out of our comfort-zone explodes into this mad 2nd person coming out! Now don't get me wrong I get completely that habitancy had places to be, work to get back to, house and friends to meet, crying, tired and stressed out children to sort out and that being stuck at an airport through no fault of your own is causing us all grief in one sense or another... But when there's nothing you can do about it what's the point in getting stressed.
Time Magazine
It did give me an spectacular, opportunity to literally see how distinct habitancy deal with such a situation and as I sat with my large Cafe con Leche, listening to music, and just watching... Watching the mayhem unravel, I was intrigued as to how and why we change and how much impact the situations we are put in enhance our Stress-reactions.
A Spanish lady travelling with two teenagers was screaming at the customer Services guys, my Spanish is ropey at best, but I could tell she had an foremost event to get to in London and wasn't happy about having her flight delayed (and that before they were at last cancelled.. So goodness know how she reacted to that news!) The boys travelling with her were plugged in to their Psp and iPods and happy in their own limited world of game and video.
The old man who just smiles and takes all in his pace dozing in and out of sleep and asking every time he awakes if the flight has come up yet?
The group of girls returning after a weekend of 'hen fun ' who have had no sleep and are still in the same fancy dress outfits they wore out last night! They laugh and joke for a while then kick into tiredness and anger and crying... Getting more and more stressed about work and the fact they haven't been told anything. Because they are in a group they are more vocal and more positive in their coming when speaking to anyone 'official'
The groups of golfers (all men) who are loving the extra time at the bar, drinking and laughing and eating... Taking the micky out of each other... Until they realise that they won't be going home... And then their cave man instincts kicked in... Banging their chests and raising their voices.
The house of 6; mum, dad and the four young children and pushchairs galore, trying all they can to keep them entertained and getting more and more stressed in the process.
The firm man trying to use the time effectively, plugged into his laptop and development calls on his hands free... Wedged in in the middle of habitancy in both sides of the seating trying to keep his laptop covered so that habitancy couldn't read, marvelous and booted and getting redder and redder as time goes on.
The firm woman who is fretting about her luggage, her mulberry bag and Louis Vuitton laptop bag held tightly next to her. Pristine in presentation and approximately not wanting to slouch in any way all the time checking her posture.. Getting more agitated as time goes on.
I could go on and on... So many types of habitancy handling so many distinct issues in one go...
The most spectacular, habitancy in this story were the customer aid guys for the airline... One guy in particular, I have never seen person so calm, so smiley and so helpful... He single-handedly dealt with each and every person from the rude guys shouting and pointing at his face, through to the upset solo traveller consoling her. every person from the grumpy, the rude, the sarcastic, the loud the screaming, the scared and confused. By the time I was leaving he was still going... 15 hours later! An spectacular, guy, that I know wish I had grabbed his name so that I could have expressed my amazement and gratitude to his bosses. The un sung hero the hour! Brilliant....
I've learnt a lot on my travels, and even more on this trip about habitancy and how they tick... My own story ended at 2am in the morning with a long wait in a queue to rebook my flight for a an additional one day and a cab ride back to a friend's place to crash for an additional one night! No damage done just tired and in need of a good night's sleep.
Still I guess at least I have a blog out of it!
The moral of the story - Stressful situations are not all the time a bad thing, there is a place for some stress in everyone's life and it can be a motivator, but in these types of stressful situations it's not good to let stress get to you, sleep deprivation and longevity of negative situations and push you into you 2nd person, your "stress-reaction" state.
Maybe we can all learn more about how we can deal with stress - in anyone form it takes - to help us tame our 2nd person!
So what do the professionals say about Stress...??
What is Stress??
Stress is a normal corporeal response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your equilibrium in some way. When you sense danger - either its real or imagined - the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, self-operating process known as the "fight or flight" reaction, or the Stress Response.
The stress response is the body's way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life - giving you extra power to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.
The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your attention when you're attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching Tv.
But beyond a positive point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your ability of life.
Common signs of stress include:
Cognitive Signs:
Memory problems Inability to concentrate Poor judgment Seeing only the negative Anxious or racing thoughts Constant worrying
Emotional Signs:
Moodiness Irritability or short temper Agitation, inability to relax Feeling overwhelmed Sense of loneliness and isolation Depression or normal unhappiness
Physical Signs:
Aches and pains Diarrhoea or constipation Nausea, dizziness Chest pain, rapid heartbeat Loss of sex drive Frequent colds
Behavioural Symptoms
Eating more or less Sleeping too much or too little Isolating yourself from others Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Nervous habits (e.g. Nail biting, pacing)
To correlate your stress levels - there's a great online test here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-assessment/Sr00029
The 'Stress - Reaction' - How We Humans Deal With Difficult Situations!
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