What is ‘Stress’

in Psychology?
The definitions of ‘stress’:

1. “Stress is primarily a physical response. When

stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and
switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex
mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline,
cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for
physical action. This causes a number of reactions,
from blood being diverted to muscles to shutting
down unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion”
(Stress Management Society, 2018)

2. The endocrinologist Hans Selye (a well-known ‘stress

researcher’) defined stress as the “response of the
body to any demand, whether it is caused by, or
results in, pleasant or unpleasant conditions” (Selye, 1976,
p. 74)

3. “Stress - is the physical, mental and emotional human

response to a particular stimulus, otherwise called as
‘stressor’. It is the adaption/coping-response that
helps the body to prepare for challenging situations.
Stress can be either negative or positive, depending
on the stressor” (Explorable, Psychology Guide, 2018)
 

What you need to know:


1. Stress includes both physiological and psychological

responses


2. Stress can be ‘a good thing’, especially if it is a short-

term experience (resulting in short bursts of ‘energy’
and ‘motivation’ to get things done!)


3. Stress is typically a ‘bad thing’ if it is experienced on a

regular and/or long-term basis 


4. Stress is not an ‘anxiety’, although these terms are

interconnected and have similar ‘symptoms’


5. People tend to get used to ‘stress’ quickly (as we are all

adaptive beings), which means that many people live
under a chronic stress daily 


6. Stress can lead to many psychological issues (e.g.

depression, inability to manage own emotions, anger
and irritability)

7. Stress is linked to many physical health issues too (e.g.
tension headaches, back pain, digestive problems,
high blood pressure, etc)

8. “Chronic stress kills through suicide, violence, heart

attack, stroke and, perhaps, even cancer. People wear
down to a final, fatal breakdown. Because physical
and mental resources are depleted through long-term
attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are difficult
to treat and may require extended medical as well as
behavioral treatment and stress management” (APA, 2018)


9. ‘Stress’ is something that can be dealt with through

stress management techniques, therapeutic
intervention and pharmacotherapy (i.e. medical
treatments)
Recommended literature:

1) ‘Social Psychology’ (2014), 9th ed. by Saul Kassin, S.Fein, & H.R.
Markus

2) ‘Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety’ (2013) by Daniel Smith

Recommended websites: 


‘Stress & Stress Management’. Access from: https://

www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/stress-management.html

‘Types of Stress & Stress Relief Techniques for Each’. Access from:
https://www.verywellmind.com/types-of-stress-and-stress-relief-
techniques-3144482

Copyright © Elmira Strange