STRESS

Stress is anything that causes physical and/or mental wear and tear on the body and mind. Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. Stress is also called as frustration, anxiety, tension, depression. Stress typically describes a negative concept that can have an impact on ones mental and physical well-being, but it is unclear what exactly defines stress and whether or not stress is

a cause, an effect, or the process connecting the two.

KIND OF STRESS:
Negative stress Positive stress

Negative stress is a contributor factor in minor conditions such as headaches or personal problems. It will lead to failure. High level of stress for long time, which will be triggered very frequently. Positive stress can also have a positive effect, spurring motivation, providing awareness and the stimulation to cope with the challenging environment that leads to a better performance.

TYPES OF STRESS:
Eustress

Distress Eustress or positive stress occurs when our level of stress is high enough to motivate us to move into action to get things accomplished. Distress or negative stress occurs when your level of stress is either too high or too low and your body and/or mind begin to respond negatively to the stressors.

CHRONIC EUSTRESS (good stress): It is a long lasting, recurrent good stress. Words like fun, happiness, peace, joy, laughter, spirit, and love exist in this quadrant. When we are in a state of chronic eustress, our bodies have very high levels of the feel good hormones like Dopamine and Oxytocin. These hormones make it possible for us to have high levels of self-esteem and to have really strong relationships in all areas of our life. ACUTE EUSTRESS (good stress): It is a rapid onset, short, intense good stress. When you get some really fantastic news or you are engaged in a feel great workout or when something really wonderful happens to you, you experience this kind of stress. The body is temporarily, intensely and quickly flooded with feel good hormones like Dopamine and Oxytocin .This type of stress is desirable and it does a body good to experience this type of stress often. ACUTE DISTRESS (bad stress):

It is a rapid onset, short, intense bad stress. As far as types of stress go, this one is no fun but is not terribly dangerous and in fact it can save our life. This type of stress happens when we feel shocked or threatened. Our bodies are flooded with emergency response hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. While this type of stress is classified as a bad stress, it is not dangerous because it does not last a long time and the body will wash away these extra hormones when the danger or threat has passed. This stress helps us to survive. CHRONIC DISTRESS (bad stress): It is a long lasting, recurrent bad stress. This is by far the worst of the types of stress in our lives. Chronic distress is the cause of most peoples' problems. With this kind of stress, our body is constantly flooded with emergency response hormones like Cortisol and Adrenaline. When we stay in a state of chronic distress all the time, we overproduce the emergency response hormones and we, significantly, under-produce the feel good hormones. Every effort should be made to get out and stay out of this quadrant at all cost.

FACTORS OF STRESS:
Stress causes a lot of emotional turmoil which eventually affects a persons general performance. The most common psychological manifestations of stress are: Irritability Loss of concentration Disorganization Depression Forgetfulness

STRESS FEELINGS:
Worry Tense Tired Frightened Elated

Depressed Anxious Anger

STRESS ON STUDENTS IN SCHOOL LIFE:

CAUSES OF STRESS ON STUDENTS: ENVIRONMENT The school environment itself can be a cause of stress on students. Students moving into secondary education find it challenging to constantly move around to classes. Those matriculating to tertiary education are challenged with leaving home and establishing a new life in a new setting. Both can cause stress on students. EXTRACURRICULAR: Colleges pressure high school students to engage in extracurricular activities such as choirs, clubs, sports, band, or volunteer work. The presence of these on a student application can go far toward acceptance. Once in college, extracurricular activities still cause stress on students, since their presence on a job application is also an asset. WORKLOAD: For secondary students planning on tertiary studies, high school grades are important. High school workloads, and later college workloads, are heavy for many students. TIME MANAGEMENT: A lack of time management also causes stress on students. Balancing academics, extra activities, and home life can be difficult. Toss in a part-time job, and the challenge increases. PARENTAL PRESSURE: Finally, students at either level experience stress from parental pressures. Parents want their children to succeed in school. In their attempts to guide their children, parents can become one of the major causes of stress on students. It is wise for parents and others who work with students to take time to recognize the stresses students face.

STRESS RELIEF TECHNIQUES:

TIME MANAGEMENT: Student life is all about learning how to achieve a balance between studies and other activities. If one want to do well at school, one have to devote time to ones studies. It helps to plan in advance and schedule time for study. ORGANISATION TECHNIQUES: There will be a number of things you will need to file, such as notes, assignments, submission dates and examination times. Keep a calendar or a notebook or whatever method works for you but keep organized. CREATE A PROPER ENVIRONMENT: Ideally, one should choose a place that is quiet and free from distractions. A desk with good lighting works well for most people. MEMORIZATION TECHNIQUES: These can help us to remember parts of our work that would otherwise be forgotten as soon as we do something else. BE AN OPTIMIST: One should not let the little failures get down. There will always be a time when one aren't able to do too well on a particular test, or find oneself unable to be as good at one thing as one is at another. Recognize these as a necessary part of life and try not to make a big deal out of them. If one is cheerful, one will naturally feel better and less stressed. SLEEP WELL: This is important, as many students today think they can get away with sleeping less. While this may be alright for one night, as a regular schedule it disturbs ones health and sleep cycle. One will find it harder to concentrate and end up feeling more frustrated and stressed out about schoolwork.

STRESS ON STUDENTS IN COLLEGE LIFE:

College students have many obstacles to overcome in order to achieve their optimal academic performance. It takes a lot more than just studying to achieve a successful college career. They undergo different stressors such as time management, financial problems, sleep deprivation, social activities etc.

Main stress for students in college life is financial problem. This can be overcomed by the proper guidance by college.

AVOIDANCE OF STRESS: It is a good practice to keep a budget for students. This helps us to keep a track of our expenses and earnings and also helps us to make necessary adjustments that will be a big boon in reducing our financial stress. Eat a balanced diet and shun all unhealthy substances like alcohol, tobacco and even caffeine. Exercising is a good alternative to drinking a cup of coffee each morning. Spend time to talk with someone about the stresses of student life. A close friend or family member would be a good person to spill all our dilemmas on. Take extra-curricular activities that are fun. Learn to manage time by setting priorities and keeping a schedule. Learn to say nosometimes student stress comes doing things that one is asked to do but dont want to do. Take charge of our stress by finding out all about the causes of stress. one can counter negative feelings by learning new skills or even some ways to deal with them.

STRESS AT WORKPLACE:
Work-related stress is defined as a harmful reaction people have to undue pressures and demands place on them at work. The latest estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) show:

The total number of cases of stress in 2010/11 was 400 000 out of a total of 1 152 000 for all work-related illnesses. This is significantly lower than the number in 2001/02. The number of new cases of work-related stress has reduced to 211 000 from 233 000 in 2009/10 The industries that reported the highest rates of work-related stress in the last three years were health, social work, education and public administration. The occupations that reported the highest rates of work-related stress in the last three years were health and social service managers, teachers and social welfare associate professionals.

TYPES OF STRESS IN WORKPLACE:

SOCIAL STRESS: Bullying Bossiness Rudeness Aggressiveness by others Rules Regulations Deadline

ORGANISATIONAL STRESS:

INTERNAL STRESSORS:

Lifestyle choices Negative self talk Mind traps Personality traits

CAUSES OF STRESS:
Job Insecurity High Demand for Performance Technology Personal or Family Problems Workplace Culture

AVOIDANCE OF STRESS:
Sit straight and comfortably on your seat, and try breathing exercises. I It will relax nerves. Try visualization.

CONCLUSION:
Stress can affect student in a positive or negative way. One can become more productive and motivated if under stress as long as the stress is normal. Stress affects student productivity. It is a given that stress drives students to excel yet when left unmanaged, it can also ruin their lives. Stress is both a necessary and an unnecessary part of every students life. After all, school life is all about papers, assignments, quizzes, and major examinations. Stress is normal and it can help a student keep track of his tasks at school but it only becomes a deterrent to good life when it gets in the way of living a healthy lifestyle.