Stress defined

Q: What is stress?

A: Hans Selye, a pioneer in the study of stress, calls it “the rate
of wear and tear within the body” — a series of bodily changes. Factors that cause stress are called stressors.

Q: Why do we have stress?

A: People, like other animals, have an inborn reaction to stressful situations called the “fight or flight” response. Just as when our ancestors had to decide whether to battle or flee from a rampaging carnivore, we still have the same physiologic reactions to stress: blood pressure rises, heart rate soars, breathing speeds and muscles get ready for action. That’s wear and tear.

These days, we’re more likely to respond to stressors by changing behavior than by grappling with a tiger. Unless we learn how to deal with stress, we risk illnesses, such as heart attack or stroke, from chronic fight or flight responses.

Q: What makes us feel stressed?

A: Some stress arises from problems in the school system. Some comes from our personal lives — our homes, families and friends. Wherever its origins, stress negatively affects our ability to function daily. So stresses created by planning lessons, managing a classroom, typing reports, meeting deadlines and completing paperwork can become overwhelming. If we add to this the stress related to our personal lives, running households and taking care of finances, the result may be an overload of our functioning
capacities.

Q: What can I do about stress?

A: No matter what you do, you will be under some amount of stress. The trick is to manage it through techniques including taking more control over your school, exercise, relaxation, diet and coping with drugs and alcohol. This booklet is filled with tips for doing these things.

Q: Is stress always bad for you?

A: We usually think of stress as a negative force since it can have a draining effect on us physically, mentally and emotionally. Yet not all stress is bad. Think of planning and taking a vacation. While that creates stress, it’s stress with a positive payoff.