WHAT IS STRESS?
Posted by
admin 18 September, 2008
(1) Comment
Stress evolves when we must do something that we are not able and/or willing to do.
In a work context, this is related to the appropriateness of the work and its environment; that is, the degree to which they allow us to attend to the work and be involved in the work. In everyday practice, this appropriateness is a kind of middle zone. In general, it can be stated that a work environment that makes it too hard to keep our attention to the work leads to stress. The middle zone of the work itself can be described as an appropriate degree of challenge.
Work that becomes too challenging demands more knowledge, skills and abilities than we can mobilise. It becomes impossible to deal with the task in a systematic and orderly way. Chaos takes over, our involvement vanishes and task performance breaks down. As we lose control over our task performance, having to perform the task anyhow then becomes a serious stress source. This activates a primordial response pattern, which is only appropriate in situations that quickly demand intensive bodily activity, for examples in situations of life or death. In situations of a different kind, it can activate a lengthy vicious cycle, which affects our effectiveness, motivation and creativity. It can also isolate us and violate our well-being and health.
On the other hand, work that offers too little challenge to keep us involved, while we must do it anyhow, demands from us that we force ourselves to stay involved. This soon becomes very tiring and we can go on in this way only for a limited time. Our attention wanders. We become bored and drowsy, and sometimes somewhat irritated. The work becomes less and less manageable, and this too can give rise to stress.
Categories : Emotional Health, Mood Disorders
