The Latin words “strictus” (which means “tight” or “narrow”) and “stringere” (which means “to tighten”) (Jin, 2012, p. 190) are the source of the English word “stress.”

The idea of stress was created in the 1930s by physiology and psychology experts like Walter Cannon and Hans Selye in reaction to the rise of behavioral techniques that centre on the framework of stimulus-response (S-R) processes.

Anything that involves change that causes physical, mental, or psychological strain on a person is stressful. Stress is the response of our body and mind to anything that requires awareness or action. Everyone experiences moments of stress. However, how we deal with stress significantly affects our overall well-being. Constantly being under stress is always harmful.

Due to stress chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline, our muscles tighten, our heart beats more quickly, breathing more rapidly, our blood pressure rises, and our senses more acute.

The level of intensity and stress in modern society is significantly higher. With more to do, more people to please, and more complexities, competition, misunderstandings, and concerns, one can see that modern society has less patience, time, endurance, understanding, and acceptance. Even when many people surround us, finding someone who will take our hands and lead us through the turbulent seas of our everyday life and inner conflicts without passing judgment, levelling accusations, or assigning us labels might be challenging.

According to the American Institute of Stress,

• 33% of persons report experiencing intense stress.
• Stress affects 77% of people’s physical health.
• 73% of people say that stress has a detrimental impact on their mental health.
• Stress is a factor in 48% of people’s sleep problems.

Following are the most prevalent symptoms of stress and the percentage of people who reported experiencing them:

• 45 % of people say they are irritable and angry,
• 41 % say they feel exhausted or underpowered,
• 38 % say they lack interest or motivation,
• 36 % say they are nervous, anxious, or concerned,
• 36 % say they get headaches,
• 34 % say they feel down or depressed,
• 26 % say they have indigestion, acid reflux, or stomach discomfort,
• 23 % say they have muscle tension, and
• 21 % say their appetite has changed.

In 2019, about one-third of individuals worldwide said they felt anxious, worried, or furious.

Anxiety disorders affect 284 million people globally.

The following countries are the most stressed:

• Greece (59%),
• Philippines (58%),
• Tanzania (57%),
• Albania (55%),
• Iran (55%),
• Sri Lanka (55%),
• Uganda (53%),
• Costa Rica (52%),
• Rwanda (52%),
• Turkey (52%) and
• Venezuela (52%).

Stress consists of two parts: Stress triggers and stress responses. Stress triggers are the circumstances that generate anxiety. Stress responses are your emotional, bodily, or cognitive reactions to stress triggers.

Stress can be broadly divided into two categories:

Outside (External) stressors include

• A physical environment like noise, bright lights, heat, and cramped spaces
• Social stressors include rudeness, snobbishness, other people’s aggression, and bullying
• Organizational stressors include regulations and rules.
• Significant Life Events like birth, death, lost job, promotion, marital status change
• Everyday Hassles like commuting, forgetting keys, mechanical failures, “Red – Tape,” deadlines

Within (Internal) stressors include

• Personal decisions like caffeine, sleep deprivation, schedule overload, and self-talk that are unfavorable
• Mental pitfalls like irrational expectations and personalizing events
• Personality characteristics like exaggeration, rigid thinking, workaholism, and perfectionism)
• Negative self-talk includes self-criticism, pessimism, and over-analyzing

1.3 TYPES OF STRESS

The seasoned clinician Will Joel Friedman divides stress factors into four categories: Physical, Psychological, Psychosocial, and Psychospiritual as under:

• Physical stress includes trauma (injury, infection, surgery), intense physical labor/overexertion, environmental pollution (pesticides, herbicides, toxins, heavy metals, bad light, radiation, noise, electromagnetic fields), illness (viral, bacterial, or fungal agents), exhaustion, inadequate oxygen supply, hypoglycemia I (low blood sugar), hormonal and biochemical imbalances, and dietary stress (nutritional deficiencies, food allergies, and sensitivities, unhealthy eating habits.
• Psychological stress includes emotional stress (fears, resentments, frustration, sadness, anger, grief/bereavement), cognitive stress (information overload, accelerated sense of time, worry, guilt, shame, jealousy, resistance, attachments, self-criticism, self-loathing, unworkable perfectionism, anxiety, panic attacks, feeling unreal, feeling out of control/not in control), and perceptual stress (beliefs, roles, stories, attitudes, world view).
• Psychosocial stress includes relationship/marriage issues (partner, siblings, children, family, employer, coworkers, employer), lack of social support, lack of resources for good survival, loss of employment, investments, or savings, loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, house foreclosure, and isolation.
• Psycho-spiritual stress includes a crisis of values, meaning, and purpose; joyless striving (instead of productive, satisfying, meaningful, and rewarding employment); and misalignment with one’s underlying spiritual concepts.

By Dr Manish Chavda (MA, B.Ed., MBA, PhD), Trainer | Consultant | Counselor