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call these events and experiences stressors. Cul- pleasant, elicit anxiety, or lead to other negative
tural and technological changes in recent years reactions.
have resulted in an expansion of stressors ex-
perienced by many people around the globe. In her book, Invitation to Retreat, conference
Rapid changes in modern life have accelerated leader and spiritual director, Ruth Haley Barton
the need for more flexibility, a task that is diffi- (2018) discussed the exhaustion that is often
cult for many (Hutmacher, 2019). Though tech- felt by people who thrive on the next message
nology may reduce stress in some ways, it can and post that is made, the newest news alert,
increase stress in other ways. Stone (2017) sum- or other messages that bombard modern smart
marized five modern-day stressors that are un- phones. This overstimulation and information
like stressors in previous generations. He sugge- overload can easily distract people from the im-
sted that in contemporary culture, 1) we inter- portant things in life, can reduce attention whe-
act with a greater diversity of people, 2) because re it is needed most and, in my observation, can
of television and other modern modes of me- marginalize the important people in a person’s
dia, we compare ourselves to higher standards, life. Barton (2018) wrote that one of the great
3) we specialize more which means that we have dangers to the church today is not hedonism,
to work harder and harder to achieve mastery but rather the distraction that is brought on
in a subject, 4) the economy changes quickly by constantly being “plugged into” the world.
and so do jobs. This results in an angst with the Whether the constant checking of one’s phone
concept of obsolescence, and last, 5) innovation for messages and updates is the problem or the
happens faster. Innovations are often highly be- symptom may be debated. What I find is that in
neficial, but the cost of innovation is often felt in either case, it is problematic for healthy func-
the markets, economy, jobs, and predictability tioning.
in life. These stressors often lead to the percepti-
on that life is out of control. Stressors like these The impact on the body may go unnoticed for
are what often lead people to feel agitated and years, but eventually the toll on the body will
experience some form of nervous tension. The exert itself. There will be the exhaustion that Se-
problem is that these ongoing stressors impact lye discussed. The body is prevented from retur-
the physiology in a subtle but ongoing way. For ning to a normal state of homeostasis and will
some persons, stress may go unnoticed. Others eventually experience cellular damage. Selye
may seek it out. In my own clinical experience, I (1976) found that stress tends to impact three
have worked with individuals who might be de- major types of tissue or organs in the body. The-
scribed as adrenaline junkies. They are not awa- se include the adrenal glands which are part of
re of their stress, but they are aware when life is the endocrine system; the thymus, spleen, and
quiet, and they are not being “stressed” with a lymph glands in the immune system; and the
constant and demanding schedule. This person intestinal linings of the digestive system.
seems to thrive on the “rush” of the stress hor- Ongoing stress on these physical systems and
mones that charge their activity level. organs has a negative impact on physical health.
The psychological impact of stress on persons
Another example of the adrenaline junky is in terms of mental illness and damaged relati-
the person who lives in a pattern of ongoing onships is also clear. It is common today to ac-
busyness. The lack of either intentional or unin- cept that stress plays a part in the development
tentional boundary setting, and ongoing com- of psychological disorders. The diathesis-stress
mitments can lead to burn-out and exhaustion. model suggests that many psychological disor-
The person thrives on their busyness and does ders are the result of biological or psychological
not risk life without a packed shedule. It may predispositions (the diathesis) plus the addition
be the need to be needed and sometimes it is of stressors in a person’s life. Learning how to
the exhilaration from the rush of stress chemi- manage stress is an important skill to learn as
cals. Other times busyness can be intentional in it aids in the prevention of illness and improves
order to avoid aspects of life that may be un- heath.

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