What
IS "Stress" Anyway?
First or all, you have to
realize that life does not exist without stress. It is a
normal part of our existence, and there is "good" stress, just as there
is "bad" stress. However, one important thing to remember is
that stress, whether good or bad can have negative effects on health
and happiness.
The good news is that there are ways to cope, ways to live, and ways to
manage
stress which can get rid of most of the problems normally
associated with the word.
Despite the opening statements,
to most people, the word "stress" brings to mind something unpleasant.
But many psychologists write about stress as something that can have
positive effects.
Why the confusion?
The reasons lie in how an individual evaluates his or her own mental
and physical state.
Some examples may help to make the point clear. Imagine two people, one
is a champion swimmer in the Olympics, the other a college senior about
to take a final math test. The swimmer has been training most of his or
her life for the contest, the senior has hardly studied at
all.
From a purely physiological point of view both are going to be
experiencing similar effects in their bodies - rapid heartbeat and
breathing, higher metabolism, active sweat glands and so forth.
Psychologically, there are also going to be similarities. For
example, both may experience higher concentration on the present and
thoughts about the next few minutes, vivid images and a heightened
sensitivity to feelings.
Still, there are key differences as well, at least psychologically. The
swimmer is probably exhilarated, ready for the challenge, and eager to
show his or her prowess and win the contest.
The senior, on the other hand, feels doubt and fear.
In both cases it's reasonable to say that the two young people are
"under stress". You could also say they are feeling stressed or
stressful. But the differences are important. The swimmer evaluates his
or her situation as presenting a challenge he or she wants to take on
and believes himself or herself ready to tackle. The senior knows he is
inadequately prepared and projects the consequences of his likely
failure, a lowered grade and maybe the need to retake the class.
Not to mention what his parents will say when they find out!
In both of these hypothetical cases concerning "stress", the young
people are uncertain about the outcome, but each evaluates the odds of
success differently. Each might also judge the outcome of failure
differently.
The swimmer, for example, may wind up with only a Silver medal. That
might be disappointing but in the Olympics, the number two spot can
still lead to lucrative endorsements and a good future...even if the
thrill of having had the experience is not enough. The senior may see
his chances for getting into a good graduate school diminishing. He may
have to retake the class before he can even graduate. He
could also begin to see himself as a failure because of this event.
Of course, our examples are very oversimplified. But the pattern is
roughly right. Whether you feel stress or elation can often turn on how
you evaluate external circumstances and your own inner state.
So there are actually two meanings of the word "stress" that sometimes
get mixed up together.
One meaning refers simply to the heightened awareness and the
physiological symptoms described above. You could experience "good" or
normal stress at the prospect of a visit from a relative, the birth of
a baby, or the start of a new, yet long-desired and sought after, job.
The other concept is essentially equivalent to the combination of worry
and those symptoms we have mentioned. The latter can have negative
health consequences, since those symptoms can be physically harmful.
But since humans are both mind and body and the two aspects affect one
another, the psychological part is just as important.
Despite the differences, even things which can be considered "good"
stress can, throught their normal physiological and psychological
aspects, produce bad results, and learning techniques to manage stress
in any form is valuable in and of itself. Since many of these
tools, such as exercise, can also produce other healthful effects as
well, learning to control and manage stress, particularly in our modern
environment, can be vitally important.
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