What is stress????
Friday, 20. June 2008, 13:10:23
‘Stress’ is a word which is rarely clearly understood and there is no single definition of the term. It means different things to different people. Indeed, almost anything anyone can think of, pleasant or unpleasant, has been described as a source of stress, such as getting married, being made redundant, getting older, getting a job, too much or too little work, solitary confinement or exposure to excessive noise.
Stress can be defined in many ways, thus:
● The common response to attack (Selye, 1936);
● Any influence that disturbs the natural equilibrium of the living body;
● Some taxation of the body’s resources in order to respond to some environmental circumstance;
● The common response to environmental change;
● A psychological response which follows failure to cope with problems;
● A feeling of sustained anxiety which, over a period of time, leads to disease;
● The non-specific response of the body to any demands made upon it.
Stress can be defined in many ways, thus:
● The common response to attack (Selye, 1936);
● Any influence that disturbs the natural equilibrium of the living body;
● Some taxation of the body’s resources in order to respond to some environmental circumstance;
● The common response to environmental change;
● A psychological response which follows failure to cope with problems;
● A feeling of sustained anxiety which, over a period of time, leads to disease;
● The non-specific response of the body to any demands made upon it.
WIDGETIZE