We will all have stories of our own and others’ personal experiences over the past year. Stressful is an adjective that has been frequently used to describe how we have found adjusting to different aspects of working and living through the pandemic. Stressful – a situation or event which is challenging to deal with and makes us feel anxious and distressed.In this short article, we thought it may be helpful to look at the common types of stress, an explanation of the stress response and examples of how an acute stress can lead to chronic stress. This knowledge helps us understand the physical and mental effects of stress in ourselves, as well as our colleagues, friends and family members. By creating awareness, we can be alert to when we may need to make changes to our lifestyle or seek help to aid our recovery. It will hopefully also offer re-assurance that certain symptoms of stress help us function and achieve more, helping us react faster and gain greater satisfaction and enjoyment from our lives. Common types of stress Acute stress – is the most widely experienced stress and is the result of the daily pressures and demands we all face. Acute stress only lasts for a short period of time e.g., a rush of customers over the lunchtime period, getting a report finished against a tight time deadline. However, acute stress is not only felt due to experiences we think of negatively, it can also be felt when we partake in actions which bring thrill and excitement to our lives. For example a theme park ride or an extreme sporting experience. Episodic stress – is so called because it is used to describe when an acute stress is experienced too frequently. It is often seen in people who make unrealistic or unreasonable demands of themselves, causing them stress in attempting to achieve their goals. Although suffered more frequently than an acute stress, episodic stress is not continual and will stop from time to time e.g. at the end of a project or during holiday periods. Chronic stress – can result when a person is subjected to persistent stress over a long period of time e.g. an unhappy relationship, chronic illness or ill-chosen career. The stressful situation can seem to be never-ending. The accumulated stress that develops from the various stressors experienced can lead to serious physical or psychological illness. This can result in behaviours such as self-harm, violence or suicide. The physical stress response Even though we may not actually be in danger, the body’s physical response to a stressful incident is to prepare us for a perceived threat or danger by instigating the fight or flight response. Stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, are released in our bodies which bring on the physical effects that we all recognise:
The mental and emotional stress response In addition to the physical fight or flight response, when we experience a stressful situation we also have a mental and emotional response. Depending on the severity of the stress, we may notice a change in our feelings, our thoughts and find that our responses may be out of character. Feelings
Thoughts
How we respond
Stress Symptoms Symptoms of stress can be physical, emotional, cognitive and/or behavioural. You can find a list of symptoms under each of these classifications in our previous article, “How do you react to stress … and how do those close to you?” Examples of acute and chronic stress As described above, the difference between acute and chronic stress can be the length of time or frequency with which we are exposed to an experience or situation we find stressful. Acute being the short-term stresses that occur during our daily existence; and chronic being unrelenting stress which we continue to experience over a prolonged period of time. The following examples illustrate how an acute stress may be a standalone event or could, in time, turn into chronic stress.
Some tips for recovery from stress The fight or flight response goes back to our primitive existence when we had to hunt for food and be alert to predators. It's worth remembering that our bodies were, and are, built to face acute stressors followed by a period of recovery. Sadly, many of us have forgotten this and rush from experiencing one bout of acute stress onto our next goal, which may bring about further stress. So, after an experience we have personally found stressful, it is worth remembering:
We deliver many stress management courses each year and have training designed for everyone in the workplace. You can find out more about the courses we offer here.
Published: February 26, 2021 Updated: September 21, 2022 Published: 02/26/2021 Updated: 09/21/2022
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