What is stress?
Stress is the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. The source of stress may be:
- psychological – a work deadline
- physiological – illness
- chemical – smoking
But the result of stress has biological and psychological implications.
It’s important to recognise the very real impact that stress has on mental and physical health. It stimulates measurable changes in the body.
This is because stress is an evolutionarily response to threat.
You’ve probably heard of the term ‘fight or flight’. This is an important characteristic of being human that we’ve developed to protect the body from sudden and short-lived risk, and it goes all the way back to our ancestors in the Stone Age. At that time, the body’s automatic response would be largely proportionate to a threat or danger. For example, being faced with a sabre-toothed tiger. This is how it works:
Whilst this response is appropriate for immediate danger, our bodies also produce the same physical responses to other stressors such as work or family pressures. The response can be triggered by either real or imaginary threats, such as phobias.
When stress is acute i.e. short-lived, it can actually be useful, preparing you to perform under pressure, for example in a presentation or exam.
This is because:
- Breathing faster increases oxygen to the brain for increased alertness and heightened ability to focus
- Increased heartrate moves blood away from non-vital processes to concentrate energy where needed
- Muscle tension leads to increased stamina and ability to persist
This ‘positive’ stress is known as eustress.
Eustress versus Distress
Harnessing eustress can drive us to achieve. In fact, there is an optimum point where experiencing just enough stress enables an optimum level of performance (known as Yerkes-Dodson Law).
Here, low levels of stress correlate with boredom and apathy. When stress levels increase, so does performance, but only up to a certain point. Too much stress starts to have a negative effect on performance.
Eustress occurs around the optimum level of stress and helps:
- our bodies prepare
- strengthen us for immediate action
- build resilience
- enhanced creativity
- increased focus
- drive motivation.
Too much stress and we tip into ‘distress’ which can result in:
- poor communication
- high stress
- aggression
- poor focus/retention
- exhaustion/fatigue
- panic and panic attacks
- anxiety
- anger
and can eventually lead to burnout if prolonged.
Chronic stress
Everyone’s threshold for tolerating stress will be different, but high levels of ongoing stress, often referred to as chronic stress, have huge implications for health and wellbeing.
Chronic stress is deep rooted, where the body is constantly on ‘high alert’ and producing physiological symptoms as a result of the body’s hormonal response and increased cortisol levels, which can lead to a number of physical health problems including:
- high blood pressure putting stress on the heart
- gastrointestinal issues as a result of digestion changing speed dramatically
- diabetes due to long-term elevated blood sugar
- weight gain due to the accumulation of visceral fat around the organs which could lead to heart disease
- long term attention to negative events and situations that can lead to depression.
How can you recognise stress?
Physical symptoms can include:
- chest pain/palpitations
- breathlessness
- fatigue and poor sleep
- headaches/migraine
- diarrhoea/constipation
- lack of libido
- aches and pains
- significant weight change
- hair loss.
Cognitive symptoms can include:
- memory problems
- poor concentration
- anxiety
- nightmares
- negativity
- muddled thinking
Emotional symptoms can include:
- loss of confidence
- agitation
- inability to relax
- anxiety
- irritability
- depression
Behavioural symptoms can include:
- eating more or less
- sleeping more or less
- neglecting self
- alcohol/drugs/smoking use.
How can you spot the signs of stress in the workplace?
Stress can come from situations in and out of the workplace, but wherever it stems from, it can start to impact on an employee’s wellbeing and performance at work. In recognising stress, here are some signs to look out for:
- increased social isolation for example, missing meetings or not responding to emails and generally disengaging from activities
- working long hours and through breaks
- avoidance and taking time off
- missing deadlines
- underperformance in work activities
- change in attitude to their work
- lack of energy
- concentration and memory lapses.
It’s vital to be able to spot the signs and provide support before an individual reaches burnout. Burnout is where you no longer have the capacity to care or engage. People tend to feel:
- exhausted
- distant from their work and think negatively or cynical towards it
- reduced efficiency and efficacy in their role.
It’s important to recognise that burnout doesn’t happen suddenly. It’s often a gradual change.
Unfortunately, in some workplace cultures, people tend to wear stress as a ‘badge of honour’ because to be stressed is to be busy, productive, valued. What they may not realise is that this has physical implications for their bodies, which can result in physical and mental damage if not addressed.
That’s why it is so important for managers and colleagues to discourage this behaviour and be alert to the signs of stress, so they can offer help and support, or alert someone who can.