Definition of stress

I think most people would have a fair idea of what stress is. Things like :

• meeting that overly ambitious deadline that your boss has set you at work.
• finding the next repayment for your mortgage after the interest rates went up again.
• meeting a blind date.
• breaking down in rush hour traffic.

Simply put, it's something that you can't control that forces you to act in a certain way. For a more accurate and slightly formal way, it is any state that causes people to lose their equilibrium be it mentally, physically or emotionally. 

From this definition it is easy to see that many things will cause an individual stress and that most of us will be under stress most of our waking hours. However there is a distinction between good stress and bad stress.

Bad Stress

The examples above are all about bad stress. Prolonged bad stress can have a significant impact on a persons physical and mental health and relationships with other people.

A definition of bad stress centers around the fact that this stress is out of our control. Bad stress is stress that you do not want, or would not choose, and cannot walk away from. Hence meeting the bosses deadline is stressful in a bad way because you didn't set the deadline and can't walk away from it unless you want to look for another job (which is another stressful event).

Good Stress

Conversely, good stress is about controlled stimulation. The person has chosen to take on this form of stress and has a plan of action to reduce the stress. If there is too much stress the individual can choose to stop experiencing the stress.

A perfect example of this might be playing a squash game. The desired outcome of the individual is to get fitter and perhaps enjoy socializing with their opponent. During the game the individual's body will be put under enormous physical stress. The heart will have to work harder, the individual muscles within the legs and arms will be tested and the brain will be forced to co-ordinate all these activities. If all these factors become too much for the individual, he/she can simply stop.

Another example might be the desire a baby has to start walking and talking. The baby will soon become aware that walking and talking can greatly improve his/her experience of the world, be it chasing the cat or asking for food. However these abilities are hard to master and take considerable effort and time before the baby can become proficient. During this time the baby has been experiencing stress on a physical and emotional level. This stress is good for the baby because he/she has chosen to undertake this stress and he/she has a plan of action to reduce the stress.

 Summary

The key to understanding stress is to work out good and bad stress. The major differences between good and bad stress are :

• Your ability to choose – stimulation is good stress, you have chosen the stress and will take action. Bad stress has chosen you.
• Degree of control -  understanding why you are under stress. Good stress is about having a goal or setting a challenge. Bad stress has no point to you or your body.
• Ability to anticipate consequences -   adapting and adjusting to new stress is easier when you know the aims and outcomes that are desired of the stressful actions.

Managing stress is about working out what is good and bad stress. It is about developing strategies for turning bad stress into good stress. As not all bad stress can be turned into good stress it ia also about developing techniques for alleviating bad stress. For more information on dealing with stress see the managing stress.  
 

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