What is stress?

Stress is a natural and normal human response to challenging or threatening situations. 

The stress response involves both physical and psychological reactions, all of which are part of our body’s built in ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. This ‘fight or flight’ response is part of our survival instinct as humans, that prepares us to either confront or run from possible harm.

This stress response that was designed to help us respond to harm, can now turn on at other time. For example, when we are feeling overworked, and are struggling to keep on top of everything we have to do. We might notice stress when we are feeling achey and sore, but need to keep working due to finances. Stress may occur when interacting with a customer who is stressed, when we have made even a small mistake, or when we forget something such as one of our tools.

When we are faced with a situation that we see as stressful, our body will release various hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Our heart will beat faster, our blood pressure will go up, our breathing will get faster, and our senses will sharpen. These physical changes boost our physical strength, help us to react more quickly and sharpen our ability to focus – preparing us to either ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ from the threat. However, it can also make us feel overwhelmed, lead us to worry and make it difficult to solve problems.

It’s important to know that stress isn't always harmful. In fact, experiencing a small amount of stress can come with benefits. This positive form of stress, known as ‘eustress’, can help us to feel motivated, energised and focussed. You might notice this at the start of a busy period, when you are noticing more work coming in, and you may feel energised and even excited! It can improve the way we perform in both our personal and professional lives, helping us to achieve our goals.

When managed properly, stress can help us be more productive. But, when it starts to feel overwhelming for us to cope with, it can lead to a negative stress reaction known as ‘distress’. If left unmanaged, stress can greatly impact our health, wellbeing and quality of life. From high blood pressure and headaches to experiencing mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, it is important that we know how to manage stress and that we do so proactively, so that we can lead a balanced, happy life.