Stress is defined not by the cause of the distress;but by the way in which we react to it .The most elementary definition of stress refers to the condition or state of becoming under strain or pressure .Griffin(1996) state that stress is an individual`s response to a strong stimulus cor stress has two basic component :-
a- The stress agent or factor ;which are the actual circumstances producing stress ;otherwise called stressor. b. Stress response ;which are the individual`s reaction to the stressor.
THE STAGES OF STRESS
Human beings have an internal mechanism which is capable of detecting 'danger signal' .stress necessarily passes through three stages from it appearance to it acute phase. 1 :-The alarm stage: in this stage there is a clear warning of the presence of a stressor and physical reaction and the first to appear, warning an individual of the need to be careful. The moral here is that once an individual is aware of a potentially stressful situation such as too many tasks, or the need to complete many complex tasks, he can take measures to tackle the problems and solve it in which case, the result of stress simply fizzle out. It could become overwhelming and the victim realize that he can not cope, there is an acute awareness of the stress and this is classified as being in the alarm stage.
2:- The resistance stage:- Beyond the initial alarm stage is the resistance stage, typically the company director would attempt to complete a backlog of work himself .He however has two impediment to his heroic effort. first, the day has only 24hrs in it, and secondly, even his own ability is limited. frustration sets in and he start to loose a lot of energy leading to lowered production level. He wants to complete the task, but this is realistically impossible. And so he enters a vicious cycle, unfortunately, the fear of failure merely serves to compound the unlikelyhood of success. 3:- Exhaustion stage:- This is the final stage of stress, and it is characterized by anxienty fatigue and depression. This three may occur simultaneously.
THE CAUSES OF STRESS.
Fundamentaly, there are two major sources of stress, first, the external circumstances such as the environment, job, family or studies. Second, internal:- this could arise from approach to solving problem, our temperature , our level of self-control and our personality. The external:
Traumatic experience ;-Natural and human catastrophes, these include earthquakes huricanes, floods, wars, accident, attempted murder, assaults and rape.
Stressful event:-Our existence will necessarily guarantee our exposure to particularly stressful events. while they may not be traumatic, source of them can be intense enough to turn our lives upside down. such events can be negative or positive, with former usually coming with a higher level of stress The internal:- Anyone who is at the wheel of a fast racing car or flies an airplane will be familiar with the red line on the instrument panel. This red line is the tolerance limit. more often than not, top-flight executives fails to realize that their bodies also have a red line. when we go beyond this limit we are in the danger of stressing our bodies and systems beyond their capability. Not only do we expose ourselves to unbearable time pressure and inefficiency, we also endanger our health. Having established that every one has a limit, and that when we go beyond our limit 'we break'. It becomes of paramount importance that we each learn to recognize these limit and our limitation; and how to deal with both.
THE PREVENTION OF STRESS.
Our job is a key factor in our self image ;If we intend to prevent stress in our lives, it is very important that we choose our job carefully. If at all possible, our job should be chosen with respect to our natural talents and personal expectation of ourselves. people who fail to live up to expectations are especially prone to stress. well -defined goals are easier to achieve and this help lower ones personal stress. count your goals to paper. Be positive and specific.
TEMITOPE
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