Understanding Stress-Definition of Stress
Understanding Stress Definition of Stress
The definition of stress is: pressure, tension, strain, and urgency.
There are two main root causes of stress: trauma or a dominant personality in your life.
Stress is a part of life for everyone. We all meet stressful situations on a daily basis. It is normal! It is how we manage those situations, which has the greatest influence in preventing the adverse effects of stress from interfering with our health and well being. Patients have developed many disorders, cancer, asthma etc. after severe shock or stress. Stress does not directly cause these disorders but acts as an obstacle preventing the immune system working as efficiently. We cannot cure stress, so we must learn how to cope with it.
Stress is an emotional force that has manifested itself as a symptom of our times. The more successful we become the more we destroy what is of value to us; the relationships, quality of life, principles, and the environment, all which are essential factors for our happiness and contentment.
Physically, as humans, we have not changed. Our bodily functions and survival needs remain the same. We still need love, warmth, food, activity and rest. Yet the demands of society have created the desire to consume more and control more causing unacceptable pressure.
We therefore have to learn how to manage our stress, as many stressful situations cannot be
prevented. Nothing in society is free, society requires people to conform and work hard often
without questions or making choices.
Not all stress is bad though. Some stress is invigorating; challenges add spice to your life and fires
up the imagination. Many happy, successful, well adjusted people have high stress levels but are
equipped to manage it effectively.
Change is a primary cause of stress related problems. Life changes constantly and without change
life would be very dull. Stressful life events are even more threatening when they are unpredictable, unfamiliar, intense, unavoidable and inevitable. Letting go of the past and moving toward the future
can be daunting, but is a positive tool in stress management
Not only do we experience our own stressful situations but we also are aware of National and World crisis from watching T.V. and reading newspapers. These extra worries may go unnoticed, but they are being absorbed by your sub-conscious mind and add to other stressful memories.
Also new technology, phones, internet and cheaper computers which are supposed to have provided
us with more leisure time have in fact made the working week longer in many cases, as we can be
contacted most of the time, what we are doing is accelerating the pace rather than slowing it down
We all have a ‘pressure line.’ When we are above it, we are managing our stress effectively this is called Positive Stress. When we sink below the pressure line we become a stress victim, Negative Stress.
