The medical disorder we call "stress" was first identified in 1938 by Dr. Hans Seyle. Since 1938, we have cured tuberculosis, polio and made progress with every single cancer. Yet stress continues to grow as a threatening health problem in our country, contributing to virtually every major disease.

Have you ever considered why no breakthroughs have been discovered that will eradicate stress? Based on the new research findings, I propose that the reason may be that stress does not actually exist.

Removing the challenges and demands that cause stress in our lives is neither possible nor even desirable. Scientific research studies have shown that "stress" is a natural instinct built into every mammal's body as a lifesaving alarm system, triggered by fear. While other animals respond to fear with natural "fight or flight" reactions, humans have taken a normal healthy response to fear and labeled it as a disease.

Developing immunity

to stress to

maximize your success

By studying organizations that sustain their excellence in employee health, work performance and relationships, we can discover strategies for maximizing success in stressful environments. When we examine the research on people who are thriving in health, relationship and career, we find that they have a different relationship to stress than the norm. They do two things differently.

First, they identify the stressful experience for what it is. They label their "stress symptoms" as fear. Why is this important? You do not hear children speaking of stress or anxiety- they use the word "fear" easily. Children assume that fear is an important part of life and they expect it. They even invite it by standing in line to see scary movies or playing scary games. By the time children grow up, however, fear is no longer accepted as part of a normal, healthy life. It becomes a disease.

The second stress "tactic" that this new research reveals is that successful people have developed a healthy response to their fear. We share the fear response with all other mammals, yet we are one of the few that struggles with stress disorders. The reason is that other animals are better at turning off the stress, or fear, response. Deer run away when afraid. Birds fly away. Mice burrow. Lions charge. What do healthy human beings do when they are afraid?

Mauer has developed the Inner Living program for California WellBeing Institute, and he's the director of behavioral sciences for Family Medicine in Spokane, Wash., and an associate clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine.