We generally use the word ‘stress’ when we feel that everything seems to have become too much – we are overloaded and wonder whether we really can cope with the pressure placed upon us.
Stress is pressure or tension exerted on a material object, causing it to shrink or wrinkle at the force applied on it. Often, the effect of it is obvious and more evident on humans than inanimate objects. It characterizes, a sullen and dull look, a frail movement, series of yawning, tired eyelids amongst others.
Some stresses however get you going and they are good for the body as many have confessed that their lives would be pointless and boring without any stress at all. However, when the stresses undermine both mental and physical health, they are bad.
The difference between “stress” and a “stressor” is the unique role played by both entities. A stressor is an agent or stimulus that causes stress; the things we respond to in our environment. Examples of stressors are noises, unpleasant people, a tasking job, financial strain, preparations for an event, a speeding car, or even going out on a first date. Generally, the more stressors we experience, the more stressed we feel. Stress on its own is the feeling we have when under any of these pressures. But what really matters are our thoughts about the situations in which we find ourselves.
When we access situations, we decide whether it is a threat, we also decide how we can deal with it and what resources we can use in dealing with it. If we conclude that the required resources needed to effectively deal with a situation are beyond what we have available, we say that situation is stressful and we react with a classical stress response. On the other hand, if we decide our available resources and skills are more than enough to deal with a situation, it is not seen as stressful to us.
A step to managing and controlling stress is the way one responds to it. Just as responses to challenges are physiological and affects the physical state, response to stress tows the same line. When faced with a challenge or a threat, the body activates resources to protect an individual to either get away as fast as possible or fight. This fight or flight response is the body’s nervous system reacting to a stressful event. The body produces large quantities of adrenaline and noradrenalin, which trigger a higher heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating and alertness. All these factors help us protect ourselves in a dangerous or challenging situation.
Our response to stress also differs because we do not all interpret each situation in the same way and because of this, we do not all call on the same resources for each situation. This is why some situations which are not negative may still be perceived as stressful to some because they think they are not completely prepared to cope with them effectively. For instance, having a new baby, moving to a nicer house or being promoted. Having a baby is usually a wonderful thing, so is being promoted or moving to a nicer house. But moving to a new house is a well-known source of stress.
It is important to learn that what matters more than the event itself is usually our thoughts about the event when we are trying to manage stress. How you see that stressful event will be the largest single factor that impacts on your physical and mental health. Your interpretation of events and challenges in life may decide whether they are invigorating or harmful for you.
A persistently negative response to challenges will eventually have a negative effect on one’s health and happiness.
As stated earlier, we all react differently to stressful situations. What one person finds stressful may not bother another. Situations like conflicts in the workplace, driving in bad traffic, losing your job, miscarriage, noisy neighbours, overcrowding, retirement, uncertainty (awaiting laboratory test results, exams results, job interviews result ) etc.
may mean different things to different people. It is also possible that a person feels stressed and no clear cause is identified. A feeling of frustration, anxiety, and depression can make some people feel stressed more easily than others. However the best and most effective means of controlling stress is identifying your stressors and developing a positive attitude towards it or possibly abstaining from them.
Stress is pressure or tension exerted on a material object, causing it to shrink or wrinkle at the force applied on it. Often, the effect of it is obvious and more evident on humans than inanimate objects. It characterizes, a sullen and dull look, a frail movement, series of yawning, tired eyelids amongst others.
Some stresses however get you going and they are good for the body as many have confessed that their lives would be pointless and boring without any stress at all. However, when the stresses undermine both mental and physical health, they are bad.
The difference between “stress” and a “stressor” is the unique role played by both entities. A stressor is an agent or stimulus that causes stress; the things we respond to in our environment. Examples of stressors are noises, unpleasant people, a tasking job, financial strain, preparations for an event, a speeding car, or even going out on a first date. Generally, the more stressors we experience, the more stressed we feel. Stress on its own is the feeling we have when under any of these pressures. But what really matters are our thoughts about the situations in which we find ourselves.
When we access situations, we decide whether it is a threat, we also decide how we can deal with it and what resources we can use in dealing with it. If we conclude that the required resources needed to effectively deal with a situation are beyond what we have available, we say that situation is stressful and we react with a classical stress response. On the other hand, if we decide our available resources and skills are more than enough to deal with a situation, it is not seen as stressful to us.
A step to managing and controlling stress is the way one responds to it. Just as responses to challenges are physiological and affects the physical state, response to stress tows the same line. When faced with a challenge or a threat, the body activates resources to protect an individual to either get away as fast as possible or fight. This fight or flight response is the body’s nervous system reacting to a stressful event. The body produces large quantities of adrenaline and noradrenalin, which trigger a higher heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating and alertness. All these factors help us protect ourselves in a dangerous or challenging situation.
Our response to stress also differs because we do not all interpret each situation in the same way and because of this, we do not all call on the same resources for each situation. This is why some situations which are not negative may still be perceived as stressful to some because they think they are not completely prepared to cope with them effectively. For instance, having a new baby, moving to a nicer house or being promoted. Having a baby is usually a wonderful thing, so is being promoted or moving to a nicer house. But moving to a new house is a well-known source of stress.
It is important to learn that what matters more than the event itself is usually our thoughts about the event when we are trying to manage stress. How you see that stressful event will be the largest single factor that impacts on your physical and mental health. Your interpretation of events and challenges in life may decide whether they are invigorating or harmful for you.
A persistently negative response to challenges will eventually have a negative effect on one’s health and happiness.
As stated earlier, we all react differently to stressful situations. What one person finds stressful may not bother another. Situations like conflicts in the workplace, driving in bad traffic, losing your job, miscarriage, noisy neighbours, overcrowding, retirement, uncertainty (awaiting laboratory test results, exams results, job interviews result ) etc.
may mean different things to different people. It is also possible that a person feels stressed and no clear cause is identified. A feeling of frustration, anxiety, and depression can make some people feel stressed more easily than others. However the best and most effective means of controlling stress is identifying your stressors and developing a positive attitude towards it or possibly abstaining from them.
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