Stress and some of the causes

Everyone encounters stressful situations on an almost daily basis, from minor pressures that we hardly notice, to occasional traumatic situations which can cause ongoing stress. Many of us do not realise that some forms of stress, known as eustress, can have a positive effect on our performance, and instead refer to those experiences which cause us negative distress as stressful.

In recent decades, stress, its causes and our bodily response to stress have been the subject of numerous psychological studies. Today, stressful events tend to fall into one of three key categories:

• Acute – Short-term events which do not last long but if traumatic, can have a lasting impact on us.
• Episodic – Situations which are also short-term but which we find ourselves in regularly, such as rushing to work or other recurring stressful experiences in the workplace.
• Chronic – Ongoing stresses which last into the long-term. These may include the stress of illness or the friction of a fractious relationship.