All about stress..

What is stress?

 

Stress is any emotional, physical, economical, social or other factor that requires a response or change.  It can be defined as a state we experience when there is a mismatch between perceived demands and perceived ability to cope with it.  It is the link between how we view demands and how we think we can cope with those demands that determines whether we feel no stress, positive stress or negative stress.

 

We need to get a balance

 

Because of the way we live today, we know we are going to feel stress at some time or another so we need to reduce the frequency and extent to which the stress balance is going to tip towards negative stress.  We can do this by decreasing the number and types of demands and by building up our coping resources.  This will help to avoid or to minimise the effects of distressful situations.  We need to learn how to increase our excursions into positive stress by getting the right balance between demands and coping resources.

 

 

Click on the link below to learn more about the differences between negative stress and positive stress, and of course the three sides of stress..

 

 

Positive stress, also known as Eustress

 

Eustress can be experienced when our perceived ability to cope outweighs our perceived demands.  Although we have an imbalance here, this is a desirable one.  Eustress can be regarded as an extension of the normal area of the stress balance.

 

The eustress situation gives rise to a feeling of confidence, of being in control and able to tackle and handle tasks, challenges and demands.  The stress response is activated by just the right amount to provide the alertness, the mental and physical performance required to be productive and creative.

 

Signs of eustress

 

An absence of the signs and symptoms of distress indicates that you are not suffering the bad effects of stress.  The signs of eustress paint a picture of how you might feel when you are harnessing the positive aspects of the stress response.

 

You might feel and appear:

• Euphoric, stimulated, thrilled, excited.
• Helpful, understanding, sociable, friendly, loving, happy.
• Calm, controlled, confident.
• Creative, effective, efficient.
• Clear and rational in thought, decisive.
• Industrious, lively, productive, jolly, and often smiling.

 





Negative stress, also known as Distress

 



When we face an increased number of demands or view the demands that confront us as difficult or threatening, we need to make a judgement about our ability to cope.  If that judgement is, "No, I can't cope" then the stress balance can tip into the distress area.  Having too much to do in too little time; dealing with complex tasks without adequate training; promotion into a job for which we are not suited; having too many bills to pay and not enough income; worrying how we will manage if we lose our job; having domestic problems at the same time as changes at work.  These are just a few examples of the kinds of demands that can lead to distress.  Of course, the list could be endless and being Stress wise will help you identify those situations which put you in the distress area.

 

Distress can also arise from having too few demands to stimulate you, resulting in boredom and frustration.  In this case, perceived ability to cope outweighs demands.  Having too little to do or too few demanding tasks can be just as distressful as having too much to do or tackling complex jobs.  This situation commonly arises when people retire or are given jobs which do not match their abilities.

 

Signs of distress

 

Physical

• Aware of heart beating, palpitations.
• Breathlessness, lump in the throat, rapid shallow breathing.
• Dry mouth, 'butterflies' in the stomach feeling, indigestion, nausea.
• Diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence.
• General muscle tenseness particularly of the jaws, grinding of teeth.
• Clenched fists, hunched shoulders, general muscle aches and pains, cramps.
• Restlessness, hyperactive, nail biting, finger drumming, foot tapping, hands shaking.
• Tired, fatigued, lethargic, exhausted, sleep difficulties, feeling faint, headaches, frequent illnesses such as colds.
• Sweaty especially palms and upper lip, hot flushed feeling.
• Cold hands and feet.
• Frequent desire to urinate.
• Overeating, loss of appetite, increase cigarette smoking.
• Increased alcohol consumption.

Mental



• Distressed, worried, upset, tearful, deflated, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, hysterical, withdrawn, feeling unable to cope, anxious, depressed.
• Impatient, easily irritated and aggravated, angry, hostile, aggressive.
• Frustrated, bored, inadequate, guilty, rejected, neglected, insecure, vulnerable.
• Loss of interest in self-appearance, health, diet, low self-esteem, and loss of interest in others.
• Polyphasic (doing too many things at once), rushed.
• Failing to finish tasks before moving onto the next.
• Difficulty in thinking clearly, concentrating and making decisions, forgetful, lack of creativity, irrational, procrastinating, difficulty in starting to do things.
• Prone to make silly mistakes and having accidents.
• Having so much to do and not knowing where to start so ending up doing nothing or going from task to task and not completing anything.
• Hypercritical, inflexible, unreasonable, over-reactive, and non-productive.

 



 

The three sides of stress

The good side:

Excitement, stimulation, creativity, success, achievement, increased productivity.

 

The bad side:

Boredom, frustration, distress, pressure, poor performance, decreased productivity, failure, headaches, indigestion, colds, unhappy and disharmonious relationships.

 

The ugly side:

Ulcers, heart attacks, cancer, anxiety, depression, nervous breakdown, suicide.