Definition of stress

Many people face stress on a regular basis, whether at home or at work (Bakker and Demerouti, 2014). People become stressed when they have too much work on their plate, when they believe they lack authority or control over the issue, or when someone, such as a boss, makes an unfair demand on the employees. Stress is strongly linked or associated with bad life situations, hence the fact that the definition of the term stress involves negative connotations should come as no surprise. According to the Oxford Dictionary, stress is defined as ""a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances." Nevertheless, stress will not always create negative impacts on people (Bond, Tuckey, and Dollard, 2010). For instance, the pressure at work can result in short-term positive effects on the performance and body of an individual such as improved immune systems, energy bursts as well as heightened memory. However, prolonged or long-term stress can cause mental health problems in human life such as anxiety or depression.

Kinds of Stress

Acute Stress

Acute stress originates from pressures and demands, anticipated desires of the near future or from constraints and needs of the recent past (Dollard and Bakker, 2010). Acute stress can result in muscular problems such as tensions, jaw pain, back pain, headaches. Other effects include upset stomach, bowel and gut issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, acid stomach, and heartburn. Psychological distress and transient over-arousal may lead to chest pain, breath shortness, cold feet or hands, migraine headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat and blood pressure. Also, emotional distress such as depression and anxiety, irritability or anger, among many other symptoms are also linked with acute stress (Lim, Cortina, and Magley, 2008).

Episodic Acute Stress

Episodic acute stress arises when an individual frequently suffers severe stress that leads to disorderly, chaotic and life of crisis (Gerber and Pühse, 2009). It is usual for individuals with acute-stress to overreact and their stress reactions to be tense, anxious, irritable, short-tempered, or over-aroused. Such people usually define themselves as having "a lot of nervous energy." Such people tend to be abrupt since they are always managing to be in a hurry, and in some instances, their irritability results in hostility. The interpersonal relationship of such people usually deteriorates rapidly, and often the workplace turns out to be a very uncomfortable and stressful place for such people.

Chronic stress

While acute stress may be exciting as well as thrilling, chronic stress is neither impressive nor stimulating (Bond, Tuckey, and Dollard, 2010). Chronic stress destroys lives, bodies, and mind and may lead to mental disorders. Long-term attrition wreaks havoc on the constant pressure. Chronic stress is the stress of despised career or job, of being cornered in an unbearable marriage, of dysfunctional families or extreme poverty. The worst part of the problem is the fact that people would forget that the stress exists especially when getting used to it (Lim, Cortina, and Magley, 2008). Chronic stress and may lead to cancer, stroke, heart attack, violence or even suicide. Individuals wear down to fatal and final breakdown since the mental and physical resources are finished due to long-term attrition of the chronic stress.



Advantages of stress

Stress may motivate an individual

Some people are motivated by stress to work harder especially when they are faced with difficult situations like beating deadlines (Bakker and Demerouti, 2014). Stress motivates certain individuals to settle down and work with dedication. In a do or die scenarios like deadlines, good stress is invoked that helps an individual to keep motivated and dedicated to meet the deadline goals which beneficial to the person.

Boosts Immune System

While an individual is under stress, the body of the individual prepares itself for the possible harm or injury (Bond, Tuckey, and Dollard, 2010). One way in which the body attempts to safeguard itself from such damage or injury is by releasing an extra quantity of a hormone known as interleukins that assist the immune system in ensuring smooth functioning (Dollard and Bakker, 2010). The hormones help the body to develop a temporary defense mechanism.

Renders Strength

Facing and dealing with stress in life can make an individual resilient to challenges in life (Gerber and Pühse, 2009). Dealing with the on and off pressure renders emotional, mental and physical strength to an individual. The conditions make the individual be in a better position of facing and tackling difficult and challenging scenarios in life.

Disadvantages of Stress

However, stress has various negative impacts on the mental and physical life a person. Severe stress can lead anxiety or depression especially when it lasts for a long time (Lim, Cortina, and Magley, 2008). The following are some of the disadvantages of stress:

Stress Impacts on the health badly

There are various health problems directly associated with stress such as gastrointestinal, asthma, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases which one may develop due to the constant and high level of stress (Hakanen, Schaufeli, and Ahola, 2008). Chronic stress kills cancer, stroke, heart attack, violence or even suicide.

Mental Disorder

Chronic stress destroys lives, bodies, and mind and may lead to psychiatric disorders (Nawrot et al, 2011). Frequent and constant stress may result in depression and stress that can lead to mental disorder. If not handled, such stress and anxiety can result in an anxiety disorder, mood swings, sorrows, and even insomnia. It is usual for individuals with cute stress to overreact and their stress reactions to be tense, anxious, irritable, short-tempered, or over-aroused.

The causes or sources of stress

There are various causes or sources of stress, but in this research focus on the stress at the workplace (Bakker and Demerouti, 2014). Workplace pressures and demands are unavoidable because of the needs of most working environments to meet deadlines, objective or goals of the company may be excessive leading to stress (Gerber and Pühse, 2009). Work-associated stress can either environmental stressors or task stressors. Task stressors refer to the sources of stress that are associated with task nature while ecological stressors are the sources of stress that are associated with the working environment of an individual (Bakker and Demerouti, 2014). Sources of pressure at the workplace include:

Job Content

The features of the job have significant effects on the stress experience of the employees (Bond, Tuckey, and Dollard, 2010). High demands of the task that require a meeting of deadlines may be sometimes overwhelming and therefore cause stress to the employees.

Load of work

Too much work leads to time pressures to the employees because the employees have deadlines to meet (Dollard and Bakker, 2010). Employees who are working for organizations with too many objectives to achieve are likely to experience a lot of pressure that may result in stress.

Control and Participation

Many workers would always like to have power and authority in the organizations they work for (Lim, Cortina, and Magley, 2008). A lack of control over the processes of work and lack of participation in fundamental processes of decision-making within the organization make individual employees to be stressed. Even though it may sound awkward, too much authority and control can also result in stress to the employees involved.

Role ambiguity and role conflict

Role conflicts can take place when the expectations of the employees concerning a specific role are different or when the responsibilities are conflicting with each other (Hakanen, Schaufeli, and Ahola, 2008). On the other hand, role ambiguity takes place when workers are not sure what the organization expects from them.

Psychological, Physical and Environmental effects of Stress

Stress can lead psychological effects such as depression and anxiety that may lead to mental disorder. Chronic stress may lead to despised career or job, having marriage problems, as well as dysfunctional families or extreme poverty. There are various health problems directly associated with stress such as gastrointestinal, asthma, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases which one may develop due to the many and high level of stress (Gerber and Pühse, 2009). Chronic stress kills cancer, stroke, heart attack, violence or even suicide.

Ways to Recover From Stress

Whether small or large, stress is a fact of life. At one point in life, one may be faced with loneliness, the stress of finding a job, the aging stresses, health concerns, financial stresses, and many other stresses (Dollard and Bakker, 2010). The following are some of the ways of managing, reducing and recovering more quickly from stress.

Slowing down the body activities

The bodies and brains of every person were designed in such a manner they can face and handle acute stresses. The shape and mind would then have a time of recovery through procreating, sleeping, eating, or relaxing before meeting another stressful activity (Gerber and Pühse, 2009). Current studies indicate that the level of stress in the workplace is on the rise just because many people no longer create time to relax. Many employees have their mind preoccupied with workplace activities until they even forget to rest their minds and bodies.

Exercise

The Physical Activity and training program would consist of various types of exercises that would help to reduce and manage weight and therefore improve flexibility and manage level stress that may lead to increase size and weight (Hakanen, Schaufeli, and Ahola, 2008). Physical activities activate the release of the "feel good" hormones which assist in easing the symptoms fatigue and depression. Moreover, physical exercises enable the release of hormones which reduce the rate of the appetite of an individual. People who undertake regular physical activities and training usually have a more positive appearance in life because such individuals get the benefits of the stress-relief from the released hormones during the physical exercises and activities. Last but not least, physical activities improve the ability of recovery in case of disease attack. Individuals who perform regular exercise usually tend to recover faster from sickness because their body generates the antibodies more quickly that fight the pathogens.



Part C- Opinion

The word stress is a prevalent and recursively used word for modern people. People believe that when they become adults, they should be able to adjust their stress on their own, and if they keep telling others about how they are under stress, people might think him/her as a weak or annoying person (Steptoe, and Kivimäki, 2012). However, since stress is a trigger to many health problems, I would like to write down the need for the change in people's perception on stress that it may be a dangerous signal to announce the start of severe psychological or physical anxiety and I would also like to note the need for company's concern and countermeasures against the stress of adults or workers.

I understand more physical exercises make one relax the body as well as the brain to help in relieving stress. In the last months have realized that I have added a lot of weight and currently I am not in good shape at all. I have just realized that if I do not take drastic actions about my body weight, very soon I may find myself over-weighted or even obese (Richardson and Rothstein, 2008). Every month I have been forced to change my closet because some of the wears I can no longer fit because of my drastic increase in size and body.

I understand that there are some benefits an individual can gain by undertaking the daily physical (Seaward, 2013). First and foremost, people can save their lives from diseases by doing physical activity and exercise. Physical exercises ensure that body remains physically fit and therefore prevent an individual from the attacks by health problems such as stress, high blood pressure, and other heart-related conditions. Physical exercises improve the health of the heart and ensure that the heart continues to pump at the normal or even faster rate on a regular basis which helps an individual to remain healthy and keep the shape. Secondly, physical activities and exercises ensure increased metabolism activities in the body (Hakanen, Schaufeli, and Ahola, 2008). Such activities burn out the excess fats in the body that leads to overweight or even obesity. The increased metabolism activities also improve the cardiovascular exercises that increase the rate heart activities. Increased metabolism also implies a more relaxed way of losing or maintaining the weight of the body whichever the case. Thirdly, physical activities and exercises improve the hormonal profile within the human body (Richardson and Rothstein, 2008). Physical activities activate the release of the "feel good" hormones which assist in easing the symptoms fatigue and depression. Moreover, physical exercises allow the release of hormones which reduce the rate of the appetite of an individual. People who undertake regular physical activities and training usually have a more positive appearance in life because such individuals get the benefits of the stress-relief from the released hormones during the physical tasks and activities. Last but not least, physical activities improve the ability of recovery in case of disease attack (Steptoe and Kivimäki, 2013). Individuals who perform regular exercise usually tend to recover faster from sickness because their body generates the antibodies more quickly that fight the pathogens.















References

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Lim, S., Cortina, L. M., & Magley, V. J. (2008). Personal and workgroup incivility: impact on work and health outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(1), 95.

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