STRESS: GOOD OR BAD?

First thing that strikes to every individual after hearing the term ‘Stress’, is surprisingly not very different from each other’s view. Generally, stress is perceived to the situations that are out of our control or situations which do not go as per our plans. Stress is a rollercoaster of feelings such as tension, agitation, physical as well as mental burnout. However, the fact is that stress is also a source of motivation and helps in exploring potential gains which is merely given enough thought.

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress can be understood as the pattern of responses an individual makes to events that disturb his or her equilibrium or exceed coping abilities, but it is extremely essential to be aware of the fact that this ‘disequilibrium’ can be either positive or negative in nature.

EUSTRESS AND DISTRESS

Stress can be divided into two categories, distress and eustress. Eustress is a type of short-term healthy stress which is positive in nature and enhances our potentialities. For instance, it is the kind of stress we experience while preparing for an important presentation, exam or any event which requires our concentration and participation. It focuses our energy on utilizing our coping abilities on improving and making an efficient performance. Stress which gets prolonged for a long period of time and obstructs our daily lives negatively after our performance and leave unfavourable effects on physical health of an individual.

DISTRESS AND ITS AFFECTS

If stress is not handled properly it could become very prominent and have adverse effects on an individual. The most prominent symptoms of long-term stress are:

• Downfall in overall performance of daily routine and at workplace.
• It weakens immune system
• Sleep disturbance or insomnia
• Sexual problems
•  Excessive hair loss (even baldness)
• Musculoskeletal aches (pain in bones & muscles)
• Disease of digestive tract
• Outbreaks of skin problems
• Headaches
• Oral and stomach ulcers
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Hypertension
• Menstrual disorders

These are some of the few complications that any person suffering from stress goes through. Psychosomatic disorders – physical ailments with genuine biological causes, caused due to psychological factors (distress). An individual suffering from stress is more prone to depression and substance abuse.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) by Hans Selye, 1956, best explains how distress causes biological problems.

 

STRESS AS A SOURCE OF ACHIEVEMENT

Eustress a short-term stress is positive and healthy in nature. It possesses characteristics that makes an individual feel motivated, energized and even excited and enables an individual to effectively complete short-term and long-term requirements and goals.

A certain amount of stress is beneficial for an individual as it enhances performances in almost every aspect of life. It helps in extending our own limits to achieve specific goals and helps in following everyday routine without experiencing any mental exhaustion.

- Sugandhi Gulati