Over the last few years, the term stress and its causes have drawn so much interest. The term stress itself can be historically seen as a rediscovery of the concept which has developed over a number of centuries (Cassidy, 1999, cited in Cooper & Dewe, 2004). In addition, some authors stressed that the term evolved with the feeling of pressure, strain and hardships associated with the 17th and 18th centuries and that what people feel today has been exactly the same centuries over the years (Hinckle, 1973, cited in Cooper & Dewe, 2004). Therefore, the condition has always been there. However, the study of stress has gathered momentum with many different definitions with a typical one describing the concept as the emotional and physiological responses to circumstances that are too difficult to cope with or to solve and which one has no choice but to endure them (1). This essay will aim at discussing causes and effects of stress as well as the factors triggering stressful feelings, while drawing on opinions and theories of major psychologists and researchers in the field.
To begin with, stress can be caused by a number or a combination of psychological and physical elements such as pollution, crowding, or noise pollution also referred to as stressors (McEtarffer & Weseley, 2007). When it comes to crowding, although many people find it enjoyable to have a crowd in a concert or football match, others can be psychologically affected by large numbers of people (lesson: causes). This fear of density was further shown in studies by Sundstrom (1978) who found that people were less friendly and more aggressive in cities and Pandey (1999) who surveyed an Indian town and concluded that people in cities have less control on their lives and led ...
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...ce of culture should not also be underestimated where it is possible for an authoritarian country to produce nervous and anxious subjects. In a word, culture, gender and personal traits can all combine to trigger stressful events (Cooper & Dewe, 2004).
To sum up, stress is not a recent phenomenon but has always been with humans. It is not only caused by external elements such as noise pollution or crowding (stressors), but also by some innate factors and individuals’ reactions to events surrounding them. The effects of these factors whether singlehandedly or combined can dramatically change people’s lives and cause various states from helplessness and anxiety to major heart diseases. Unless remedial actions are taken into account such as providing ways to deal with stress and ensuring sporting and health programs are in place, the future will not look bright.
It’s one of the many inevitable parts of life. Whether it’s busting out a research paper for Psychology at the last minute, expecting your first child to be born, or making sure you’re up in time to catch the Saturday morning cartoons, it’s clearly evident that everyone goes through stress. The real question is, how is stress handled in our society? A person is defined by how they handle the stressors in their lives and how they overcome stressful moments. This paper will explore the aspects of stress management and how it can help others in their times of stress.
According to the American Institute of Stress, stress can be defined as an individual’s response, physical, mental or emotional, to an event that causes a demand for change (Selye, 1936). For athletes, that demand for change can be caused by an injury, which ultimately can have a significant impact on overall stress levels. While a physical injury can cause psychological stress, mental trauma can similarly affect an athlete physically. An athlete’s psychological stability has a great affect on an athlete’s susceptibility to pain and can alter the response to and recovery from an injury (Ahern, 1997).
Jones, F, Bright, J, Clow, A (2001). Stress: myth, theory and research. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. p. 12.
Stress, as defined as a reaction to a stimulus that breaks our physical and mental harmony, is ubiquitous. However, stress has two sides – the bad and the good, in which the latter is mostly overlooked as most people suffer from the affliction of the former.
(AC 1) Stress is defined as the state when people are experiencing difficulties in coping with the situations they are in due to the lacking of abilities or knowledge to handle them (Anxiety UK, ND). These situations are often referred as stressors. The way how individuals are reacting to these stressors is referred as stress response.
Many people think of stress as a simple problem. In reality however, stress is complex and often misunderstood. We all know that stress is the body’s reaction to any demand on it. Perceptions of events, whether positive or negative, activate stress. It is, therefore, a highly individual affair. What is stressful to ‘X’ may not be so to another. But it is fairly easy to conclude that everyone lives under a certain amount of stress. In fact, the only people without stress are dead. At the same time it is certainly wrong to conclude that stress is always bad. Mild stress may improve the productivity. It may force people to focus more sharply on the problem and produce solutions. But if stress is severe and persist for long periods of time, it can be harmful. Stress can be disruptive to an individual as any
What is Stress actually? Hans Selye, the noted stress researcher, once said, “Stress is a scientific concept which has suffered from the mixed blessing of being too well known and too little understood. Physicians, psychologists, biologists, engineers, and students may each have a different meaning in mind when they talk about stress”. One useful definition of stress is that it is a demand made upon the adaptive capacities of the mind and body.
According to the Stress in America Survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, most Americans report feeling “moderate-to-high” stress levels with 44% of adults stating that their stress level has increased in the past 5 years (Stress, 2013). Stress is nearly unavoidable; a few major causes of stress include work, money, and the economy. Producing changes in many body systems, stress, in small amounts, is healthy, but excessive stress, when left untreated, can lead to anxiety and illness like increased heart rate and blood pressure and even altered immune function.
Stress is defined as “any circumstances that threaten or are perceived to threaten one’s well-being and thereby tax one’s coping abilities” (Weiten & Lloyd, 2006, p. 72). Stress is a natural event that exists literally in all areas of one’s life. It can be embedded in the environment, culture, or perception of an event or idea. Stress is a constant burden, and can be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health. However stress can also provide beneficial effects; it can satisfy one’s need for stimulation and challenge, promote personal growth, and can provide an individual with the tools to cope with, and be less affected by tomorrow’s stress (Weiten & Lloyd, 2006, p. 93).
Stress is the combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions that people have in response to events that threaten or challenge them. Stress can be good or bad. Sometimes, stress is helpful, providing people with the extra energy or alertness they need. Stress could give a runner the edge he or she needs to persevere in a marathon, for example. This good kind of stress is called eustress. Unfortunately, stress is often not helpful and can even be harmful when not managed effectively. Stress could make a salesperson buckle under the pressure while trying to make a sales pitch at an important business meeting, for example. Moreover, stress can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety disorders. This bad kind of stress is called distress, the kind of stress that people usually are referring to when they use the word stress.
There is something that everyone in this world tends to encounter; stress is that thing. For most people stress is an everyday thing. For others it can be just an occurrence from time to time. It can also affect our personal relationships without even us realizing that it was the main issue. Stress is “a person’s response to events that are threatening or challenging” (Feldman, 2010). Since there are many different type of stressors, they can be places in different categories. Stressors can be categorized as cataclysmic events, personal stressors, or even as background stressors (“daily hassles”). Though no matter what type of stress one has, there is always a way to cope to get through it and keep it from harming our relationships. Even if it is an everyday occurrence or a once in a while occurrence.
"Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress; 75 to 90 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints; stress is linked to the six leading causes of death--heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide." (Miller, 1993, p.12) " Stress plays havoc with our health, our productivity, our pocketbooks, and our lives, but it is necessary, even desirable." (Oxford, 1998, p.29)
Stress is defined in the dictionary as “state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life”. Everyone encounters stress in their life caused by many different variables in life and we all cope with in different ways. The way one copes with the stress is how it can affect our body. Some take to working out, eating healthy, take breaks from what is stressing you out and getting plenty of sleep which are good ways to cope with it. Some take to other coping mechanisms that are not very great for the body. Some examples are stress eating, abuse of drugs and alcohol, bottling up the stress, and depression. These bad methods can cause serious damage to one’s health on the body.
Stress is an ongoing dilemma that occurs in each and everyone’s life. It is a factor that is undoubtedly a part of daily living. Due to the trivial problems that occur in people’s daily lives massive amounts of stress can arise. People perceive and manage stress in many different ways. The causes and effects of stress are numerous and one’s ability to manage stress is vital in maintaining healthy living.
Stress has various effects on the body, both psychological and physiological. Stress can have positive effects on the body and can be beneficial, but frequent stress will eventually cause negative effects on the body.