Stress management

First used in physics -> describe the capacity of certain materials to return to their original
shape after being submitted to different types of compression or stretching actions.

In the 30s, the word started to be used to describe a biological phenomenon. In The Stress
of Life, Hans Selye describes stress as a ‘consequence of the failure of an organism – human
or animal – to respond adequately to mental, emotional or physical demands, whether
actual or imagined”.

Nowadays, the concept started to be considered as the psychological phenomenon well

known in our society. According to the psychological glossary, stress is “a psychological and
physical response of the body that occurs whenever we must adapt to changing conditions,
whether those conditions be real or perceived, positive or negative.”

1. Positive
Sth that boosts your adrenaline and makes you go the extra mile or makes you move
out of your comfort zone and accomplish great things.
Lots of experts in the subject refer to those sorts of events as pressure.
For example, the pressure associated with giving your first paper presentation at an
international conference gives you the buzz and excitement which will make you
stand out while presenting to your audience of experts.
2. Negative
Stress is deemed a negative experience when things start to get in your way and
prevent you from being fully efficient.
Keeping the conference example, you’ve just been told that your flight has been
delayed. You will arrive 5 minutes before the start of the conference. Interpreting this
kind of stress as a negative experience might mean you thinking that, as you now
have to rush and run to catch a taxi, you’ll be lucky not to forget your notes. You may
also focus on the possibility that arriving short of breath and destabilized will
probably not help you perform at your best.

Stress can be expressed in many different ways. Physical evidence is probably the most
frequent sign or precursor to when someone is entering a phase of stress. Those visible but
nonverbal signs will actually betray the stressed person and, most of the time, it is relatives
and/or colleagues who are likely to detect the particular state somebody is in – often before
they do themselves.

Stress can also affect your thinking abilities. It forces people to react to the urgency of the
situation... they are operating in a sort of survival mode.

3 stages of stress:
1. Phase 1: Alarm
The alarm phase corresponds to the very early stage when someone is just entering
into stress mode. This phase is associated with a fight-or-flight reaction to the change
that is occurring.
2. Phase 2: Resistance
 This is the phase where all of the body’s resources are mobilized to cope with stress.
3. Phase 3: Recovery or Exhaustion
The third stage could be either recovery or exhaustion.
Recovery follows when the system’s compensation mechanisms have successfully
overcome the stressor effect (or have completely eliminated the factor which caused
the stress)
Exhaustion is the alternative third stage. At this point, all of the body’s resources are
eventually depleted and the body is unable to maintain normal function. The initial
symptoms may reappear (sweating, raised heart rate, etc.). If stage three is extended,
long-term damage may result, as the body’s immune system becomes exhausted,
and bodily functions become impaired, resulting in decompensation.

What causes stress?

Everything around us is subjected to change and every human being is in essence reluctant
to change. Based on this concept, it is easy to anticipate the sources of stress will be multiple
and diverse, and will differ from one individual to another.

Sources of stress can vary from poor time management, heavy workload, difficulty to have a
work-life balance...

Sources related to you: The origin of stress lies potentially with a situation you are in, or an
experience you might soon face.

For example, you are a postgraduate researcher and you know you will have to upgrade in 2
months’ time. The level of stress associated with the build-up to this situation can vary
depending on the way you have prepared already, the findings you’ve got, the way you’ve
managed that 1st project.

Sources related to others:

A typical source of stress is poor communication. Every day, we interact with people who
have different types of personalities. We are all working, therefore, in a huge range of
different ways. This situation is in itself a potential source of stress.

For example, it could be stressful to have a supervisor who leaves things to the last minute.
Similarly it could be quite frustrating to have a manager who planned everything to the
minutest of details.

When at work, it is also important to identify that those elements preventing you from being
efficient can be non-work related. If your child is taken ill, for example, you will probably find
it hard to concentrate and pay attention to details.

A good illustration of where stress can come from can be drawn from Abraham Maslow’s
theory of what motivates people. Maslow suggests in A Theory of Human Motivation (1943)
that everyone has several levels of needs that have to be satisfied in order to provide
satisfaction. These levels are referred to as the ‘hierarchy of needs’.

Layer 1: Physiological needs (breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion)
Layer 2: Safety (security of body, employment, resources, morality, health, family, property)
Layer 3: Love/Belonging (friendship, family, sexual intimacy)
Layer 4: Esteem (self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others)
Layer 5: Self-Actualization (morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of
prejudice, acceptance of facts)

If you remove one single level from the hierarchy, stress is likely to increase dramatically.
Thus it is important to identify what gets you in a stressful position in the 1 st place because
(1) it will help you identify suitable ways to cope with stress and (2) it will prevent you from
repeatedly experiencing stress.

Stress management techniques: self-awareness

One of the most useful and often underrated stress management techniques consists of
being self-aware.

The survival mode people enter when stressed will more or less follow a pattern that will
repeat itself whatever the stressful situation they are facing.

The more self-aware people are the more likely they are to recognize those signs and
prevent the situation escalating.

Identifying and Tackling your ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

Relaxation Techniques, Sport and Exercise

One way to avoid ANTs is to maintain a steady work/life balance.