Defining Stress

'I'm stressed out!' 'That was stressful!' What do we mean when we says these things?  Speak to a load of psychologists and you are likely to get a range of differing definitions, and probably feel confused (and stressed).


So, let's keep it simple and stick with 'pressure' and the 'stress response.'  


When I talk about pressure I use it to refer to the motivating force that acts upon us and requires some sort of response.  For example, my alarm clock going off on a morning is a form of pressure or stimulus that provokes a response in me - usually a moan and a groan (I am not a morning person).  Whether you leap out of bed full of joy and enthusiasm or you groggily and reluctantly emerge from under your duvet, the body is having to raise it's activity levels and does so using the same system that we would associate with causing the feelings of stress.


If we were to 'up' the pressure levels, perhaps with a traffic hold up on the way to work causing you to fear being late, again the same system engages and raises your stress response levels.


As we will explore in future blogs, this is a natural physical and psychological reaction designed to help us survive as we encounter day to day threats.  


That is not where the problem lies.  Unless the pressure of one incident is so severe and traumatic, for example, being a victim of a violent attack, it is unlikely that 'one-off' pressures will cause us any issues.  It is the sustained and cumulative impact of various pressures which cause us problems.  We will explore this issue of 'chronic stress' further in future blogs.


For now though, I think the following definition used by the Health & Safety Executive provides a good working definition of stress.  Although it relates to work related pressures in particular, it applies to personal pressure too:


"The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work." (click to go to HSE website)


It's a good starting point.  Anything can be a pressure, i.e. a stimulus motivating us to respond in some way.  But when those pressures become excessive there is a risk that the natural stress reaction starts to cause adverse or negative effects in our lives.