For Hong Kong psychoanalyst Diego Busiol, the word “stress” does not adequately reflect the body and mind’s reaction to a perceived pressure.
“The term tends to flatten complex human phenomena into something overly generic,” he says. “It’s much more nuanced than that. It affects people differently.”
He gives an example: “You can have two managers with identical workloads: one develops chronic insomnia, the other thrives. The difference lies not in the pressure itself, but in each person’s history – in their ideals, beliefs, and the unconscious meaning they give to effort and responsibility.”
Stress is also not inherently bad.
“When it has direction and meaning, it can be a catalyst for growth, learning and creation. Think of someone starting an enterprise full of hope and curiosity. The physiological arousal they feel isn’t pathology – it’s enthusiasm,” Busiol says.
If “stress” aligns with a person’s desire, he explains, “it mobilises them”. On the other hand, if it is not in sync with their wants and direction, “it immobilises”.