In psychology and biology, stress is defined as any strain or interference that disturbs the functioning of an organism. The human being responds to physical and psychological stress with a combination of psychic and physiological defences. If the stress is too powerful, or the defences are inadequate, a psychosomatic or other mental disorder may result.
A recent study conducted by Harvard Medical School demonstrated that stress is the precursor to clinical depression or ‘nervous break down’. If we can control our reaction to stress we can prevent the situation from spiral down to a path of destruction where there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Stress is an unavoidable effect of living and is an especially complex phenomenon in modern technological society. There is little doubt that an individual's success or failure in controlling potentially stressful situations can have a profound effect on his ability to function to execute their goals. Childhood experiences, cultural attitudes, genetic makeup, and gender are factors that contribute to the development of each individual's perception of and response to stress. Although some people may be able to physiologically withstand stress better than others, cultural factors rather than heredity usually account for this ability. The ability to “cope” with stress has figured prominently in psychosomatic research. Researchers have reported a statistical link between coronary heart disease and individuals exhibiting stressful behavioural patterns designated “Type A.” These patterns are reflected in a style of life characterized by impatience and a sense of time urgency, hard-driving competitiveness, and preoccupation with vocational and related deadlines.
Harmonise works on the principal of using behavioural and coaching technologies to help individuals become more aware of internal processes and thereby gain control over bodily reactions to stress. A person’s cardiovascular activity (blood pressure and heart rate), brain activity and muscle tension can be modulated to control the stress level using these techniques. Though such activity of the autonomic nervous system (subconscious) was once thought to be beyond an individual's control, it has been shown that an individual can be taught to learn how to voluntarily (consciously) control the body's reactions to stress or “outside-the-skin” events. An individual learns through training can detect his/her physical reactions (inside-the-skin events) and establish control over them.
