Stress can be thought of as an individual’s response to demands or pressures which can severely reduce their capacity to cope. Stress is, therefore, the result of the relationship between an individual’s coping mechanisms (internal factors) and the demands or pressures placed on them (external factors). A person is likely to feel stressed if the demands placed on them are greater than their ability to cope. When this happens, people often feel stressed, tense, agitated, frustrated or anxious. These feelings are typical of the stress response that has been activated.

Helpful and Unhelpful Stress

People live with varying levels of stress in their everyday lives. It may be surprising to you that there is both good and bad stress, dependant on the level being experienced. Low level stress is often called arousal, and we need a certain amount to function. The amount that is needed, or that the person can cope with varies largely amongst individuals typically depending on their personalities, coping styles and the way their body responds to stress.

Causes of Stress

Stress is the result of a combination of internal and external factors. Differences in vulnerability and interpretation of stress provides an explanation as to why some people feel stressed in a particular situation while others remain unaffected.

Stressful Life Events

Negative life events including the death of a loved one, unemployment or conflict with your partner, are not the only causes of stress among individuals. Positive events like buying a new house, starting a new job or even becoming engaged, can also lead to stress. This is the result of the events requiring a change or response from a person. In fact, any change in a person’s life can be a source of stress because the change places a demand on the individual to deal with the new situation. If a person experiences a lot of life events or changes over a short period of time, the resulting additive stress can sometimes lead to the development of a depressive or anxiety disorder or even burnout.

Treatment

To explore factors such as your personality and coping style, thinking styles, and ways of improving your stress management, please book to see one of our clinicians.