Defining Stress and Understanding the Health Risks

Would you believe me if I told you that stress is more than an uncomfortable response to a negative event. In fact, stress is NOT just limited to negative events. There are actually two kinds of stress. The first kind is your body's reaction to bad things happening. The second kind can be a good thing. It can be a response to physical challenges and the achievement of personal goals. Whether stress is experienced as pleasant or unpleasant... depends on the situation and the individual.

What is Stress?

Stress is hard to define because so many different people have very different perceptions of what is stressful. To clarify, what you find stressful... may not be stressful to someone else and vice versa. With that said, the Medical Definition of Stress is: "a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension."—William Shiel JR. MD.

I know, it's not a very helpful definition...which is why we are going to try understanding stress in another way. Stress is really a combination of THREE factors: a stimulus, response, and an outcome.

The three combining factors of stress:

• A stimulus
• A response
• An outcome

1. A Stimulus (Stressor)

To clarify, a stressor is a stimulus that may cause a stress reaction.

Four categories of stressors include:

• Biological/Environmental: toxins, heat, cold
• Psychological: threats to self-esteem, depression
• Sociological: unemployment, death of a loved one
• Philosophical: use of time, purpose in life

2. A Response (Stress Reaction)

Quite simply, this is how your body responds to stress. What the response is (and the severity of it) is based on the duration and intensity of the individual's reaction to the stressor.

3. An Outcome (Strain)

The outcome of one's stress reactivity

• Physical (i.e. tension headaches)
• Psychological (i.e. agoraphobia)
• Behavioural (i.e. alcohol abuse)

If we combine these three factors, we get ONE definition of stress.

"Stress is the general physiological and emotional state that accompanies the stress response. It is a combination of a stressor, stress reactivity, and a strain."—Unknown

Making a Stress Reflection

Want to get to the root of your stress? Why not try making your own stress reflections? It's easy, just check out my three examples below.

Example Stress Reflections

1. School
2. Emotional Abuse
3. House Work

My filled out stress reflections on these topics are just below.

Example One: School

Stressor: An assignment for school is past its deadline.

Type: Sociological/Need to pass so I can keep my student loan.

Response: Physical/Tension and Sore Muscles

Outcome: Burn Out

Example Two: Emotional Abuse

Stressor: Emotional Abuse from Family Members

Type: Psychological/threats to self-esteem and depression

Response: Depression/Lack of motivation

Outcome: Alcohol Abuse

Example Three:

Stressor: Cleaning/House Work

Type: Philosophical/Use of time and feeling unaccomplished

Response: Psychological/Depression and Anxiety

Outcome: Internet Addiction

Measure Your Stress

It is well known today that there is a connection between high stress levels and becoming ill. However, this wasn't discovered until 1967 when Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe surveyed more than 5,000 patients. The connection was made between event/environmental stress to an increase in illness. In order to rate stress, they developed the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale.

According to my score, I have a "moderate to high chance of becoming ill in the near future"... that is a little terrifying... I hope your score is better.

Hello. Nice to meet you! How are you? Hmm... this feels like a really one-sided conversation... why don't you follow me on social media so I can get to know you too?

About the Author

I started blogging about two years ago and my collection of blogs and articles is getting pretty impressive. I’ve taken online classes for writing and even some classes about the art of blogging itself. It would be really awesome if you join the adventure and maybe even help me think of what to write about next. If you would like to submit some feedback or ideas, you can always tweet me on Twitter.

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Thank you for reading my article. Would it be okay if I ask another favour though? Would it be okay if you share this on your Facebook page or Twitter? If you can't share, there is a tiny little donate box at the bottom too. No pressure though, just thought I would mention it.

Work Cited

“Common Causes of Stress & Their Effect on Your Health.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/balance/guide/causes-of-stress#1.

Jr, William C. Shiel. “Definition of Stress.” MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20104.