Nature of Stress

• Stress is a state of tension or imbalance when demands disturb a person’s physical or mental balance.
• It involves a group of responses (body and mind) to a stimulus that feels disturbing.

Stress can have both desirable and undesirable effects.

Positive stress (eustress)

• Helps us stay alert and occupied.
• It is one of our assets for peak performance and handling minor crises.

Negative stress (distress)

• Appears when stress becomes excessive.
• Leads to feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, and mentally disorganised.

When stress is too high or prolonged, it breaks the person’s equilibrium, overloads resources, and may lead to a breakdown in functioning.

• The word stress comes from Latin roots meaning “tight” or “to tighten”, matching the inner feeling of tightness and constriction many people report under stress.
• In engineering, stress means an external force acting on a physical object; the effect of this force is called strain, a change in the structure of the object.
• Psychologists adopted this idea:
• Stress = external events or stimuli that create pressure.
• Strain = internal effects, such as anxiety, illness, or tension.
• Higher levels of stress generally produce more strain, especially when the stress is negative.
• Positive stress, however, leads to pleasant feelings and does not harm physical or mental health.

• Stress is not only a factor in the person or in the environment; it is part of an ongoing transaction between the person and their social and cultural surroundings.
• This transaction disturbs homeostasis and creates a demand to restore balance through coping efforts.
• Stress is therefore seen as a dynamic mental or cognitive state, not a fixed object.

Stress depends on how we think about the situation and our ability to cope.

Primary appraisal – “What does this event mean?”

• Positive / Neutral / Negative.
• Negative → Harm (damage done), Threat (possible future damage), Challenge (opportunity to grow).

Secondary appraisal – “Can I handle it?”

• Judging one’s resources: health, skills, attitude, money, support, etc.
• More resources felt → less stress; fewer resources felt → more stress.

• Past success or failure in similar situations.
• Perceived control over the situation (sense of self‑efficacy).
• Physical health and constitution.
• Psychological factors: mental health, temperament, self‑concept.
• Cultural meanings and expected responses.
• Resources: money, coping skills, social support, professional help.

Types:

• Environmental (noise, pollution, heat, crowding).
• Social (break‑up, loneliness, daily commuting).
• Psychological (conflict, frustration, negative thinking).

Dimensions:

• Intensity: low ↔ high.
• Duration: short‑term ↔ long‑term/chronic.
• Complexity: simple ↔ complex.
• Predictability: predictable ↔ unpredictable.

Stress produces a variety of responses:

(a) Physiological responses

The hypothalamus begins with two main pathways.

• Autonomic nervous system pathway: adrenal glands release catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine), leading to fight‑or‑flight changes like a faster heartbeat and rapid breathing.
• Pituitary pathway: the pituitary gland releases a corticosteroid (cortisol), which provides extra energy to deal with the stressor.

(b) Emotional responses

• Negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, embarrassment, anger, depression, or denial are common.

(c) Behavioural responses

• Confronting the stressor (fight) or withdrawing/avoiding it (flight).
• Many other behaviours may occur depending on the situation.

(d) Cognitive responses

• Thoughts and beliefs about harm, threat, causes, and controllability of the event.
• May include poor concentration, repetitive worrying, or morbid thoughts.

• Stress is a state of physical and mental tension when demands disturb a person’s balance.
• Eustress and Distress – Moderate stress (eustress) improves performance, but excessive or long-term stress (distress) harms health and efficiency.
• Stress and Strain – Stress refers to external pressure; strain is the internal effect like anxiety or illness.
• Cognitive Appraisal – Stress depends on how we interpret the event and judge our ability to cope with it.
• Types of Stressors – Stressors may be environmental, social, or psychological, and may be short-term or long-term.
• Stress Reactions – Stress causes physical (hormonal changes), emotional (fear, anger), behavioural (fight or flight), and cognitive (worry, poor concentration) responses.