Stress & health

Sources of Stress
 What is Stress?
 We can define stress as a physical and/or
emotional reaction that occurs when an
individual’s capabilities, resources or needs
do NOT meet external demands (in which
case we would call them stressors). More
specifically, the overwhelming feeling that
stress causes, is called distress.
 Can’t Stress
Big Debt afford it (distress)

External
Demands not Stressor
met.
 Life Changes
Stress can change your life and even
shorten it.
It has been empirically proved that chronic
stress, given by a prolonged exposure to a
major stressor can seriously affect you
psychologically and physiologically.
Hans Selye, a Canadian researcher, worked
with rats to see the consequences of chronic
stress in organisms. In his studies he found
that the rats were forced to adapt themselves
to their stressful environment (General
Adaptation Syndrome).
 Life Changes
 General Adaptation Syndrome.
 Stages
 Alarm reaction: In response to a stressor, we experience an
increased state of arousal where the heart rate and rate of
respiration increase and our muscles tense up in preparation. (our
body’s way of protecting us)
 Stage of Resistance: Chronic exposure to a stressor results in the
body getting used to it, it is characterized by a reduced level of
arousal. Conditions may be stressful, but we learn to cope with it in a
certain way.
 Stage of Exhaustion: The prolonged exposure to chronic stress
can become harmful for your mind and body, it can lead to renal
failure, as seen on rats, or psychological disorders such as
depression, anxiety or psychosomatic disorrders.
Conflict Situations
Approach - Approach Conflict: This type of
conflict occurs when there are two desirable
alternatives (positive goals), but you can only
choose one of them.
“Donkeys don’t starve to death when they are
halfway between two stacks of equally
desirable hay.” Dollard & Miller.
Conflict Situations
 Avoidance – Avoidance Conflict: Also known
as a no-win situation because you have to
choose between two unpleasant situations
and moving away from one automatically
moves you towards the other.
Conflict Situations
 Approach – Avoidance Conflict: You see the
same goal in both positive and negative
terms. When the goal is out of reach you long
for it, and when the goal is within reach and
closer you tend to repel from it because you
start thinking about the negative aspect
Conflict Situations
 Double Avoidance Conflict: You have two
options both of which have good and bad
outcomes.
 Good Stress?
 Yes, Eustress. according to Selye, eustress is a
kind of stress that can be benefitting for us.
 Eustress makes us respond in a more adaptive

manner and is necessary for giving place to

competitiveness, self achievement and living life
on (nearly) the edge. Don’t we all love when we
get a good grade after a difficult exam and a
long studying night?
 The source of eustress comes from the kind of

stressor that is presented and the manner it is

presented in, (i.e. intensity).
 Eustress
 If presented in a mild, fun or exciting way,
the stressor or the problematic situation may
be solved easily with a positive outcome and
without having a prolonged exposure to the
stressor.
 Work & Stress
 The most common word associated with stress is
work. Accordingly, the most common stressors
are given in work and financial situations.
 It has been found that when people work in non-

appropriate places, such as austere, filthy and

even -decorated by others- offices, factories and
cubicles, their work efficiency decreases and
therefore increasing their stress levels. In
addition to those factors, if you have a -not so
nice boss- and a –not so nice job-, your stress
levels will skyrocket.
 Work & Stress
 Sick Building Syndrome.
 A syndrome that contributes to having

distress at work.
 Researchers discovered that buildings with

artificial illumination, poor air ventilation and

quality, temperatures that result
uncomfortable, and chemical compounds
dispersed on the air can affect our health and
therefore contribute to poor productivity at
work and developing distress situations.
 Work & Stress
Burnout
 A syndrome associated with stress
characterized by exhaustion, loss of
motivation and responsibility. It is most
common in workers.
 A burnout can be compared to the highest

level of stress and to the third stage of GAS;

exhaustion.
 Work & Stress
Burnout
 Reasons for burnout syndrome.
 There are many reasons, we could classify

them in internal and external, such as

expectations, necessity in hard work, age,
tendency to give and not take (internal) and
work overload, lack of resources,
interpersonal conflicts (external) and so forth.
 It has been found that the external reasons

have more influence on developing the

syndrome that internal ones.
 Work & Stress
The Bright Side
 It has also been found that if workers are
given the opportunity and freedom to décor
their work space at free will, their productivity
increases and their stress levels decrease.

Cubicle Sweet Cubicle