1 in 4 of us suffer with a mental health problem every year and stress and anxiety are usually the starting points.
However, not all stress is bad. We need a certain amount of it to get us going, to get the best out of us. It is a degree of stress that gets us up on a cold winter’s morning when the alarm goes off, that motivates us to get to places on time, and without stress we can become apathetic, lethargic and lazy.
Stress develops in stages. Eustress is the positive which can be described as that buzz you feel when something exciting happens or is about to happen, like a child waking on Christmas morning. Distress, Illness, Burnout and Death are of course, the negative manifestations if stress is not dealt with. There is also Post Traumatic Stress, which, as its name suggests, can occur as a consequence of a past traumatic experience or event.
What is the difference between pressure and stress? When does one tip into the other? You might feel yourself to be under constant pressure and unable to cope with the demands of today’s fast and hectic lifestyle, both at home and at work.
We all experience those” bad ” days when one thing after another seems to go wrong. We can cope with the odd one or two but continual daily hassles and pressures soon build up and take their toll on our minds and bodies.
Pressure can be motivating, challenging, exciting,helpful (it gets us up in the mornings and helps us get to work or school/college on time and meet deadlines). It can be frustrating too – if you are stuck in a traffic jam, you may feel “stressed ” but this is actually pressure – as soon as the road clears the feeling goes away.
However, continuous pressure takes its toll and tips into stress. This builds up without us realising, it puts a strain on our immune systems and usually results in illness.
Click Here to Access Coopers Life Stress Inventory