This article is the first in a series on unpacking Technostress and its impacts. Follow me to receive future instalments.

‘Chronic stress is the new normal’ screamed a Forbes headline this month. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Has it really gotten this bad? Like smartphones, stress seems to be a ubiquitous companion as we lurch from crisis to crisis, while sprinting to keep up with the pace of change. Stress thrives whenever there is an imbalance between the demands being made of us and the resources we have available to meet those demands. When our resources are overwhelmed for weeks or months on end, we experience chronic stress — resulting in depleted energy, negative emotions and lower productivity. Worryingly, chronic stress is the last warning sign before burnout.

While employee burnout is steadily increasing, global productivity has slumped since the internet went mainstream. Organisations are spooked — 90% of employers are committing to greater investments in mental health, stress and resilience training, along with mindfulness and meditation programs.

However, band-aids don’t fix bullet holes: betting the future of work on wellness supports at the individual level, without addressing the source of increasing stress levels, is unlikely to prove effective.

How did we get here?

Relationship status — it’s complicated.

Each of us has a complicated relationship with stress — it can be intoxicating and toxic all at once. A Hungarian endocrinologist called Hans Selye (1907–1982), dubbed the “Father of Stress”, was the first to provide a scientific explanation for biological stress. He described stress that negatively affects us as Distress, while stress that has a positive impact he called Eustress. In small doses, stress helps us stay alert, fuels motivation, and supports us as we adapt to new experiences. However, when the scales are tipped towards distress, we feel overwhelmed, exhausted and depleted.

Selye broke down his model of stress into three distinct stages — originally called GAS (General Adaptation Syndrome), now colloquially known as The Stress Response. As we move through each stage, our resistance to stress changes, as follows:

Stage 1 — Alarm

When a stressor is detected, the body responds with a “fight-or-flight” response. The sympathetic nervous system is stimulated, and the body’s resources are mobilized to meet the perceived threat or danger.

Stage 2 — Resistance

The body focuses resources in dealing with the stressor and remains on high alert until the threat subsides.

Stage 3 — Exhaustion

If the stressor(s) continue to overwhelm the body’s capacity, our resources become exhausted. This stage is the home of chronic stress and, eventually, burnout.

The human stress response involves many physiological components. First, the brain initiates the most immediate response signalling the adrenal glands to release epinephrine and norepinephrine. Then, the hypothalamus and pituitary activate another part of the adrenals to release cortisol. The nervous system responds by initiating behavioral responses like alertness, focus, and reduction of pain receptors. The sympathetic nervous system increases the heart rate and releases fuel to help fight or flee from danger. It redirects blood flow to the heart, muscles and brain, away from digestive processes. To accommodate these demands there is a vast increase in energy production and utilisation of nutrients and fluids in the body. Once the stressful situation has passed, the brain signals these responses to be “turned off” and finally recovery and relaxation allow the body to re-establish balance (homeostasis) in all systems.

However, what happens when these perceived threats don’t dissipate? What is the consequence of facing a relentless bombardment of fear and uncertainty?

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