A responsive action to the adverse external environment that affects the physical and emotional state of a person can be called as stress. As quoted by Maureen Killoran “It is not what happens to us but it is our response to what happens, and response is something we can choose”.

“The effects of Stress distress both physical and psychological character of a human being.”

Starting with small psychological disturbances, stress effects can lead to physical strains and sometimes cause major injuries. Stress can be caused by external factors like pain, elevated sound levels, events, rush hour traffic, work, study, personal relationships, smoking, drinking, marital separation, loss of job, change in financial status, or a death of spouse or close relative.

Depending on the individual’s mental strength, neural and hormonal status, the stress effects will differ.

Stress is not negative in all cases. According to psychiatrists, a medium level of stress is required to keep us reaching our goals and targets. These may be small targets like reaching office on time to studying for examinations instead of watching TV.

These are healthy stress effects that often result in achievement and satisfaction. This type of stress causes small stress effects like headache, tension, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and frustration, which will disappear once the task is accomplished.

Acute stress which may occur due to severe incidents like death of spouse, divorce, jail term, accident or loss of a body part, or continuous strain due to over-work. These factors may increase the stress effects that may not only lead to psychological and small physical disturbances but also may result in severe physical diseases like “high blood pressure,” “cardio-vascular problems,” “stomach and intestinal problems,” “failure of immune system,” and “nervous breakdowns.”

It is most common now-a-days with the work pressure in multi-national corporations that the employees often suffer from nervous breakdowns due to tremendous work loads.

• Coping with such situations completely depends on one’s ability to look at the situation, willingness to cope with the situation, and support from his family and friends.
• It is always better to keep our mind cool and concentrate on the core problem instead of reacting to the stress effects that make us tense and block us from thinking a solution.

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