Definition of stress

a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding

circumstances, (Oxford Dictionally, 2020). Stress can be defined as the degree to which you feel
overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures that are unmanageable.

In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes
bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or
social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). Stress can initiate the "fight
or flight" response, a complex reaction of neurologic and endocrinologic systems.

Is all stress bad?

Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s what helped our hunter-gatherer ancestors survive, and
it’s just as important in today’s world. It can be healthy when it helps you avoid an accident,
meet a tight deadline, or keep your wits about you amid chaos.

We all feel stressed at times, but what one person finds stressful may be very different from what
another finds stressful. An example of this would be public speaking. Some love the thrill of it
and others become paralyzed at the very thought.

Stress isn’t always a bad thing, either. Your wedding day, for example, may be considered a
good form of stress.

But stress should be temporary. Once you’ve passed the fight-or-flight moment, your heart rate
and breathing should slow down and your muscles should relax. In a short time, your body
should return to its natural state without any lasting negative effects.

On the other hand, severe, frequent, or prolonged stress can be mentally and physically harmful.

Types of stress

In our ever tedious and preoccupied lives where we seem to be chasing one thing after the other,
feeling stressed has become fairly common. It could be stress from work or personal life, acute
or chronic. Even when our body is at rest, our mind never stops thinking which ultimately leads
to stress and the feeling of being burdened. Stress is very subjective. It may be temporary in
nature due to a certain phase you're going through and your body returns to the normal state once
it passes. But if it prolongs, stress can lead to some serious ailments like depression, heart trouble
or even high blood pressure. Here's a quick lowdown on the various types of stress you should
know about.

1. Acute Stress

This is the most severe form of stress which demands the body’s immediate reaction to a new
challenge, event or demand. Acute stress is not always negative. It can even be experienced
while on a roller-coaster in the form of fear. Stress suffered as the victim of a crime or life-
threatening situation can cause mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder or
acute stress disorder.

2. Episodic Acute Stress

Frequent occurrence of acute stress is called episodic acute stress. People who are often anxious,
irritable or short tempered experience this kind of stress. Victims carry a persistent negative
outlook to everything and worry over every small issue. Negative health effects occur in people
with episodic acute stress. These people accept stress as a part of their life and it is difficult for
them to alter their lifestyle.

3. Chronic Stress

If acute stress prolongs for a longer period of time it becomes chronic stress. This kind of stress
is constant and doesn’t easily go away. It results from financial troubles, an unhappy marriage, a
bad job or a dysfunctional family. Chronic stress is harmful for your health and can lead to
diseases such as heart ailments and depression.

4. Physical Stress

Physical stress can occur from trauma due to injury, infection or any kind of surgery, intense
physical labor, environmental pollution, inadequate oxygen supply, fatigue, hormonal imbalance,
dehydration, substance abuse, dental problems among others.

5. Psychological Stress

This includes emotional stress from fears, frustration, sadness, anger and grief and cognitive
stress from jealousy, attachments, anxiety, panic attacks or self-criticism. It basically refers to the
emotional and physiological reactions experienced when an individual comes across a situation.

6. Psychosocial Stress

This stress comes from relationship or marriage difficulties. It could be a relationship of an

employee-employer, siblings or family. Lack of social support, loss of employment, loss of loved
ones and isolation can lead to this kind of stress.
What are psychological and emotional signs of stress?

1) Depression or anxiety.
2) Anger, irritability, or restlessness.
3) Feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or unfocused.
4) Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
5) Racing thoughts or constant worry.
6) Problems with your memory or concentration.
7) Making bad decisions.
8) Low sex drive
9) Digestive problems
10) Fatigue
11) Poor eating habits
12) Stress ulcers
13) Stress head ace

Stress hormones

When you sense danger, the hypothalamus at the base of your brain reacts. It sends nerve and
hormone signals to your adrenal glands, which release an abundance of hormones.

These hormones are nature’s way of preparing you to face danger and increase your chances of
survival.

One of these hormones is adrenaline. You might also know it as epinephrine, or the fight-or-
flight hormone. In rapid fashion, adrenaline works to:

1) increase your heartbeat

2) increase your breathing rate
3) make it easier for your muscles to use glucose
4) contract blood vessels so blood is directed to the muscles
5) stimulate perspiration
6) inhibit insulin production

While this is helpful in the moment, frequent adrenaline surges can lead to:

a. damaged blood vessels

b. high blood pressure, or hypertension
c. higher risk of heart attack and stroke
d. headaches
e. anxiety
f. insomnia
g. weight gain

Here’s what else you should know about an adrenaline rush.

Although adrenaline is important, it isn’t the primary stress hormone. That’s cortisol.

Stress and cortisol

As the main stress hormone, cortisol plays an essential role in stressful situations. Among its
functions are:

a) raising the amount of glucose in your bloodstream

b) helping the brain use glucose more effectively
c) raising the accessibility of substances that help with tissue repair
d) restraining functions that are nonessential in a life-threatening situation
e) altering immune system response
f) dampening the reproductive system and growth process
g) affecting parts of the brain that control fear, motivation, and mood

All this helps you deal more effectively with a high-stress situation. It’s a normal process and
crucial to human survival.

But if your cortisol levels stay high for too long, it has a negative impact on your health. It can
contribute to:

1. weight gain
2. high blood pressure
3. sleep problems
4. lack of energy
5. type 2 diabetes
6. osteoporosis
7. mental cloudiness (brain fog) and memory problems
8. a weakened immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infections

It can also have a negative impact on your mood.

Causes of stress

Some typical causes of acute or chronic stress include:

1. living through a natural or manmade disaster

2. living with chronic illness
3. surviving a life-threatening accident or illness
4. being the victim of a crime
5. experiencing familial stressors such as:
a. an abusive relationship
b. an unhappy marriage
c. prolonged divorce proceedings
d. child custody issues
6. caregiving for a loved one with a chronic illness like dementia
 7. living in poverty or being homeless
8. working in a dangerous profession
9. having little work-life balance, working long hours, or having a job you hate
10. military deployment

There’s no end to the things that can cause a person stress because they’re as varied as people
are.

Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling

a person's level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of and for the motive
of improving everyday functioning.

Stress Management Techniques

People can learn to manage stress and lead happier, healthier lives. Here are some tips to help
you keep stress at bay.

a) Keep a positive attitude.

b) Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
c) Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of
becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
d) Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi for stress
management.
e) Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
f) Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
g) Learn to manage your time more effectively.
h) Set limits appropriately and learn to say no to requests that would create excessive stress
in your life.
i) Make time for hobbies, interests, and relaxation.
j) Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
k) Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress.
l) Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.
m) Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental health professional trained in stress
management or biofeedback techniques to learn healthy ways of dealing with the stress in
your life.
n) Organize yourself.
o) Practice mindfulness.

Reference List

1. Agarwal, Rita (2001), Stress in Life and At Work, Response Books, New Delhi.
2. Ahmad, S. Fayyaz & Shah, Farooq A. (2007), “Role Stress of Officers and Clerks: An
Empirical Study in Banking Industry”, Business Review, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 1-9.