I have already said that stress can be both a good
thing
– a motivator – and a bad thing. Furthermore, what is stressful
may not only vary from one person to another, but can change for one
individual from year to year.
This is because the way that stress affects us depends
on a balance between the demand made by the event(s) causing the stress
and our ability to cope (which can vary considerably). Too large an imbalance
between demand and ability to cope may result in the sort of stress that
is not good for us.
Looked at in a slightly different way, the overall
level of stress depends on a complicated balance that takes account of
the stressful event, our response to this in terms of physical effects,
emotions and outward behaviour, and how significant the event is to us
(is it something that makes us very happy, deeply sad or is it not too
important?).
For example, if John Smith, with a large mortgage,
a wife, three children and a job that he enjoys and is important to him,
is made redundant, he is put under a great deal of stress. The event
is of major significance to him, and he may suffer physical symptoms
(inability to sleep, eat or relax), and emotional reactions (bursts of
anger and irritation) which affect his outward behaviour.
THE
LEVEL OF STRESS |
| Stress level |
= |
Potentially
stressful
event(s) |
+ |
Our response to the event(s)
(physical, emotional
or behavioural) |
+ |
Significance of the event(s)
to us (happy, sad, worried or indifferent) |
Jill Brown, on the other hand, is 23, highly qualified,
with no responsibilities and a job that she finds boring. If she is made
redundant, she may not be shattered. Instead, she may feel that the event
has forced her to make a long overdue change, and she may be relieved
and relax, feeling better than she has done in ages. In this case, stress
has a positive side and is needed to introduce a necessary element of
change in her life.
We can see from this that similar stress events may
bring out an entirely different response in different people.
|
KEY POINTS
- The way stress affects us depends on a balance
between the demands made and our ability to cope
- Physical symptoms of stress may sometimes result
from an individual’s inability to deal with it
|
