What is Stress?

What is stress? To most people, the word 'stress' conjures up unwanted thoughts and feelings. However, the beneficial effects of stress have been noted by many psychologists. What is the confusion about? Each person appraises his own mental and physical condition differently. A stress scale was even invented in 1967, it was however not completely reliable. For a definition of what is stress click here.

The point of how different people appraise stress can be made clear by a few examples. Try to picture a champion Olympic skier and a college senior taking his or her last math test. Suppose that the senior has failed to study very hard, while the skier has been training for many years.

What is stress here? Both have very similar physical sensations, such as elevated heart rate, increased sweat production, and so on. There are certain similarities psychologically also--like vivid mental images, more heightened sensitivity to sensations, and also greater concentration on the current events and immediate future.

But, at least on a psychological level, there are important distinctions to be made. The skier is positively anticipating the challenge, and has no doubt of his ability to overtake his competitors. The senior feels unnerved and anxious. What is stress, positive anticipation or being anxious and nervous?

Both of these persons are clearly under stress, we would say. One might say they are feeling stressed. However, there are important and significant differences. The skier is ready to tackle a challenge after evaluating it based on his own perceptions of the situation. The student knows he is not prepared, and predicts that he will likely fail and have to re-take the class.

The young people in both cases are uncertain about the end result, but have differing appraisals of their respective end results. They may well each have a different view about both the likelihood and consequences of failure. What is stress, a perception of an unknown future and its affect?

The skier may end up not with the Gold but with the Silver. A second spot in the Olympics could be somewhat disappointing, but lucrative endorsements and a promising future can also come along with it. The senior might lose his or her chance for admission into a prestigious graduate school. He or she might not get to graduate at all without retaking the class.

These examples may be oversimplified. But the pattern is basically correct. Your perception of events around you and your own mood can lead to either euphoria or stress.

The word "stress" actually has two meanings that occasionally get confused with one another. One refers to the physiological symptoms already described, including increased physical awareness. The other is the result of a combination of worry and those symptoms. The latter can result in potentially physically damaging symptoms such as stress disorders. As your mind affects your body and vice versa, psychological effects are as important as physical ones.

When you have chronic stress, you have an ongoing state of physiological stimulation. You are in a chronic state of fight or flight, neither of which you are able to do. Constant or overwhelming stress may mean more than just a headache. Stress disorders can result when there is too much stress bearing down on you, whether it is over time or in a sudden onrush. These disorders are more serious than average anxiety because they can affect how you function in life much more strongly than other stress-related problems.

Some events can lead to what is known as acute stress disorder. Stress is bad enough as it is. However, there can be times in which stress gets too overwhelming and can cause a person to short circuit, essentially shutting them down from the world.