We have long known that stress can be energising. This engaging book,full of science and vivid stories, presents the case for ‘what doesn’t cancel me makes me stronger’Stress is the psychological pandemic of our age, or so it’s easy to forget that its contemporary consume originated as a metaphor. Before the middle of the 20th century,“stress” was mainly a term in physics and engineering, to describe the strain that external forces exerted on a material such as wood or steel. Biology then borrowed the term to describe a mechanistic hormonal response to stimuli. But the consume of “stress” in physics was itself a metaphorical borrowing from the word’s earliest recorded definition, and that of hardship or adversity. The word stress,according to the Oxford English Dictionary, probably comes from “distress”. Related: How to manage workplace stress in five simple steps Robertson introduces his themes with stories but then explains complex scientific ideas with nuanceContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com