Stress response

Psychophysiology of the stress response: When does stress cause illness?

Stress is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, involving multiple processes placed on different epistemological levels investigated by different disciplines (e.g., physics, biology, medicine, psychology). In turn, stress is influenced by several factors of various nature (e.g., biochemical, genetic, psychosocial) with a transitory (e.g., exam, job interview), chronic (e.g., war, permanent disability), and even dispositional time course (e.g., anxiety disorder). We are used to think about stress as a negative condition leading to even worse somatic and psychological reactions, but is this always true?

Workplace stress and the management of psychosocial hazards at work

Workplace stress is a highly prevalent phenomenon associated with substantial individual, organizational, and societal costs. Over the last decades, robust theoretical frameworks have been provided to characterize the stress response both physiologically and psychologically. These resulted in consolidated models of job stress, as well as in normative frameworks aiding organizations to identify, assess, and manage the psychosocial hazards in the work force. This post is not yet available in English 🤷

Sleep, relaxation, and recovery experiences: The importance of leisure time

Don't lose sleep over it. Easier said than done. Sleep and - more generally - recovery are fundamental processes for our health, well-being, and productivity. However, the hectic pace of modern society, the increasingly long working hours, and the thoughts and worries that follow us outside work are stealing our precious “leisure time”. What risks are implied by lack of recovery? How does stress - particularly work stress - steal our sleep?