Stress Management

By Anusha Kundu

Stress can be conceptualized as life events (major and minor) that

disrupt the mechanisms that maintain the stability of individuals’
physiology, emotion, and cognition. Selye (1956) coined the term
“stress” to refer to the effects of anything that threatens homeostasis.
The actual or perceived threat is referred to as the “stressor” and the
response to the stressor is called the “stress response.” Although stress
responses evolved as adaptive processes, Selye observed that severe,
prolonged stress responses might lead to tissue damage and disease. This
brings us to the need for stress management. Several researches
have noted that acute stress has a detrimental effect on decision-
making processes; similarly, chronic stress impacts human beings by
causing immune suppression, increasing propensity for
cardiovascular diseases and poor mental health. This brings us to the
need for stress management. By identifying the major stressors of
one’s life, they can take small steps to alleviate their sources and
become healthier versions of one’s self.