What is Stress?
It is well known that we all thrive on a certain amount of
pressure and in fact, we all need some pressure to do our best.
However, if this pressure becomes excessive it can be counterproductive
and lead to stress. At first, we may just be irritable, snappy,
unable to think clearly, and make a few silly mistakes. However,
if the pressure continues and we fail to do anything about
it our performance drops. We may develop physical symptoms
or mental symptoms such as anxiety and eventually depression.
According to the Health and Safety Executive stress is:
"An adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures
or other types of demands placed upon them. It arises when
they worry they
cannot cope."
The HSE definition does not however take into account the
concept of perception. As different people perceive the same
event
in different ways this is extremely important. It is not
usually the event which causes us problems but our perception
of the
event. For example, some people will see an event such as
public speaking as extremely stressful while others will
see it as
a challenge.
Another definition for stress is:
“A reaction which occurs when the perceived demands
of a situation exceeds our ability to cope”
We therefore can cause our own stress by the way we perceive
a situation. - The way we see life, our perceptions
may affect our receptivity to stress. We also cause our
stress
by our
own behaviour.
So what can we do ?
Try to manage your balance between too little and too much
pressure by adapting your behaviour and thinking. Also make
sure you take time out to recover from the pressures you find
yourself under. Exercise and relaxation are paramount.
Tips for preventing pressure
turning to stress
