What is Stress?

Stress is defined as the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with emotional or mental pressure. Any event or action that makes a person annoyed, furious, or nervous can trigger it. Chemical changes in the body caused by stress can cause blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and heart rate to rise.

What causes people to be stressed?

Stress is a natural physical and psychological response to the events of life. Everyone is subjected to stress at some point in their lives. Stress can be triggered by anything from everyday duties to major life events such as an illness, conflict, or the death of a loved one.

The following are some of the common causes of stress: 

• Being under constant pressure.
• Having duties that are too much for one person to handle.
• Lack of employment, hobbies, or change in one's life.
• It is difficult to cope when a relationship ends.
• Increasing economic liabilities due to the loss of a job.
• An accident or long-term sickness.
• Emotional issues such as anger, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety etc.
• Natural disasters, illness, murder, or violence between people.

A variety of factors can cause workplace stress, including:

• Dissatisfaction with one's job.
• Prolonged hours of work.
• Bearing too many responsibilities or a big burden.
• Working in potentially hazardous environments.
• Being concerned about one's chances of advancement or of being fired.
• Poor management, ambiguous work objectives, or having little say in decision-making.
• Working in an environment where one is subjected to harassment or discrimination.

Types of stress

There are diverse kinds of stress, such as:

• Acute stress
• Episodic acute stress
• Chronic stress

Acute stress

Acute stress is one of the least harmful forms of stress, which is good, given that it is also the most prevalent. We are subjected to this type of stress throughout the day. Acute stress is classified as a perceived threat that is immediate and might be physical, emotional, or psychological. They might even be beneficial for physical and mental health. Stress teaches the brain and body how to react most effectively to future situations that cause people to be stressed. Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a short-term, acute, unpleasant, and disorganized reaction that occurs soon after a distressing incident and lasts less than a month. If one’s symptoms last more than a month, they are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Episodic acute stress

Episodic acute stress occurs when a person experiences acute stress on a regular basis. This might happen if a person is regularly frightened and worried about events that he believes are likely to happen. Certain occupations, such as law enforcement or firefighting, may regularly expose people to high-stress situations. Episodic acute stress, like severe acute stress, can be harmful to one’s physical and mental health.

Chronic stress

Chronic stress occurred when someone experiences elevated stress levels over an extended period of time. It can be brought on by regular work and family pressures, as well as tragic events. This type of long-term stress might be harmful to the body. This may cause anxiety, heart disease, depression, elevated blood pressure, and a compromised immune system. Chronic stress can also lead to common symptoms, including headaches, stomach upset, and sleep problems.

Stress hormones

The hypothalamus, situated at the base of the brain, responds when someone is in distress. It transmits nerve and hormone impulses to the adrenal glands, causing them to discharge a large number of hormones. These hormones help prepare for danger and increase the chances of surviving.

Adrenaline

Adrenaline is one of the stress hormones. The fight-or-flight hormone or epinephrine is another name for it. It allows blood to flow to muscles by contracting blood vessels, increasing sweating, and reducing insulin synthesis. While adrenaline is good for the muscles, it can damage blood vessels, increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, induce hypertension, and cause headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and weight gain.

Cortisol (primary stress hormone)

Cortisol, being the major stress hormone, is crucial in stressful situations. Cortisol affects the regions of the brain that control mood and fear. It increases the amount of glucose in the blood and aids the brain in making better use of glucose. It also increases the availability of chemicals that aid in tissue regeneration. 

Cortisol levels that remain high for an extended period of time, on the other hand, maybe hazardous to our health. It can lead to sleep problems, hypertension, weight gain, energy shortages, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, a compromised immune system that makes people more prone to sickness. It can also have a detrimental impact on psychological behavior.

Effects of stress on the body and mental health

In a stressful environment, our nervous system goes into overdrive, pumping out chemicals or hormones that prepare us to fight or flee. It's known as the "fight or flight" response. Due to this response, one’s heartbeat and breathing rate increase, muscles feel tense, and they begin to sweat. The persistent influx of stress hormones can wear down one’s body, causing it to age faster and make one more sensitive to sickness.

Stress manifests itself in a variety of ways, one of which is a headache. A stressful incident preceded the onset of chronic headaches in roughly 45 percent of cases, according to a study of 267 people with chronic headaches. Another study of 150 military members at a headache clinic found that stress was the second most prevalent headache trigger, with 67 percent saying it was the cause of their headaches.  Aches and pains are typical health problems that can occur as a result of high-stress levels. Some studies prove that increased levels of cortisol are one of the causes of serious pain. Another indicator of stress is a frequent illness. Stress can weaken the immune system and make it more susceptible to infections. Persistent stress can also cause chronic exhaustion and low energy levels. During stressful times, many people notice changes in their sexual desires. High amounts of stress can also induce symptoms of digestive issues, including diarrhea and constipation.

What is stress management?

If stress is left untreated, it can result in severe health problems. The level of stress a person experiences is determined by their personality as well as how they react to various events. Techniques for stress management will help people to develop coping skills. Stress management can also help to avoid the onset of depressive symptoms. Coping skills can help people maintain a good personality and health in the face of major life transitions and negative situations.

Techniques for coping with stress:

• Adequate rest.
• Maintaining a healthy diet.
• Regular excercising.
• Attempting to take occasional vacations or regular work breaks.
• Engaging in a relaxing hobby, such as gardening or handicrafts.
• Limiting our consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
• Heart-rate-lowering breathing exercises.

Context and Applications

This topic is significant in the exams of school, graduate, and post-graduate levels, especially for bachelors in zoology/psychology and masters in zoology/psychology.

Practice Problems

Question 1: _______ is a short-term, acute, unpleasant, and disorganized reaction that occurs quickly after a traumatic incident and lasts less than a month.

1. Episodic acute stress
2. Acute stress disorder
3. Chronic stress
4. None of the above

Answer: Option 2 is correct.

Explanation: Acute stress disorder is a short-term, acute, unpleasant, and disorganized reaction that occurs quickly after a traumatic incident and lasts less than a month.

Question 2: The primary stress hormone is ______.

1. Cortisol
2. Adrenaline
3. Noradrenaline
4. None of the above

Answer: Option 1 is correct.

Explanation: Cortisol, being the major stress hormone, is crucial in stressful situations.

Question 3: Which of the following gland releases stress hormones?

1. Thyroid
2. Pancreas
3. Adrenal gland
4. None of the above

Answer: Option 3 is correct.

Explanation: Hypothalamus transmits nerve and hormone impulses to adrenal glands, causing them to discharge a large number of stress hormones.

Question 4: Which hormone is known as the flight-fight hormone?

1. Cortisol thyroid
2. Pancreas
3. Adrenaline
4. None of the above

Answer: Option 3 is correct.

Explanation: Adrenaline is one of the stress hormones. Epinephrine, or the fight-or-flight hormone, is another name for it.

Question 5: Which of the following is a cause of stress?

1. Constant pressure
2. Economic liabilities
3. Hazardous environments
4. All of the above

Answer: Option 4 is correct.

Explanation: Stress is caused by economic liabilities, constant pressure, and hazardous environments.