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Here is a compilation of essays on ‘Stress’ for class 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Stress’ especially written for school and college students.
Essay on Stress
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Introduction to Stress
- Essay on the Sources of Stress
- Essay on the Causes of Stress
- Essay on the Effects of Stress
- Essay on the Factors Affecting Stress
- Essay on the Manifestations of Stress
- Essay on Stress Research
Essay # 1. Introduction to Stress:
Lewis Mumford in his classical book “The Transformation of Man” observes that if one were to go by the theory of evolution we find that up to the level of the human being, the evolution has been “autoplastic”, i.e. to deal with the problems of survival, the organism has been changing itself, from unicellular to multicellular, from the invertebrate to vertebrate, etc. But at the human level, change has been “alloplastic”.
The basic human nature of the noblest and greatest of human beings today is no different biologically from that of the early savage. The evolution at the human level has been social, and this through an environment which the human being has been changing and manipulating through his own actions.
This means, the emergent problems of stress and anxiety faced by modern man is essentially an offspring of the environment he has created. Man is helpless in confronting his own mischief. We can certainly make an allusion to the story of Mohini and Bhasmasura (the teacher may explain this episode in the class).
The effect of all these is, to lead an individual to certain psychological consequences. The 20th century, in spite of all its scientific and materialistic advances has been described as an ‘age of anxiety’.
Karen Homey is of the opinion that modern society necessarily generates what you call ‘basic anxiety’ and very few are free from it, and in order to overcome this anxiety certain neurotic trends like restlessness, loneliness, aggressiveness, helplessness, compulsiveness and radicalism, etc. develop. This seems to be a new form of religion.
In the past few years, a concept has emerged in behavioural science research and also physiological research to understand and evolve ways and means of dealing with this state of human existence. Psychologists, physiologists and medical scientists and many others have found that the term ‘stress’ can be borrowed from physics to explain many of the symptoms described above.
It has been shown that rapid socio-cultural changes, ecological changes, certain psychological factors, lifestyles, all contribute to the stress. We may examine in brief the concept of stress, its nature and consequences.
M. Franken Heuser observes, “life in contemporary society is less stressful (physically) than that of any previous generation. Our age however has its own problems, many of them psychological or social in nature. Today we need not be starved in cold or physically exhausted for stress to occur (as in the earlier times). Life in technologically advanced societies imposes new demands on the same bodily resources that helped our ancestors to survive, for making them fight or flee”.
David Hamburg, leading medical scientist observes “our species has moved rapidly to take advantage of the technological opportunities and their concomitant material benefits, to undertake patterns of behaviour which are at times achieved only at high costs in terms of psycho-biology”. These problems ultimately result in ‘stress’.
Essay # 2. Sources of Stress:
Stress can be caused by many factors in the life of an individual, spread over years. It comes to be felt only if it exceeds a certain critical intensity.
Some of the factors which can contribute to the accumulation of stress are as follows:
(i) Frustration:
Repeated failures in our attempts to achieve certain goals can contribute to stress. This type of repeated failure leads to frustration. Frustration involves the blocking or thwarting of our needs. Frustration again, can be mild and temporary or severe, prolonged and cumulative, resulting in stress.
Lack of opportunities, delays, discriminatory treatment, lack of resources, etc. are some of the common factors involved in frustration. Anyone who has had some work to be done with a government office would have certainly experienced frustration because of delay, silly objections, callousness and utter irresponsibility of the system. Similarly, personal limitations like physical limitations, repeated failures, etc. can also cause frustration.
Chandler, Fidler, Southgate and many others have pointed out how loneliness, actual or psychological, can result in frustration. In modern society, many people feel alienated. The brazen and shameless attempts by some to acquire positions of power, material wealth, etc., may definitely alienate the people and make it difficult for them to live a wholesome and meaningful life.
It is here we see a paradoxical situation. Many of those who are ‘go getters’, believe that “ends justify means” and are materially successful, but at the same time find themselves equally unhappy or worse than those who do not subscribe to mercenary ways of life.
In fact, it has been found that stress-related symptoms like, diabetes, hypertension and ulcers are much more common among those who apparently succeed by pushing and driving themselves to achieve “success”. The pressure to go after success endlessly, ultimately results in stress which manifests itself in various forms.
(ii) Conflicts:
All of us experience conflicts, ‘to do something or not to do’. Conflicts can be of different types. In modern life, almost every point of decision-making in one’s life tends to create conflicts, like choice of a job, educational, choice of a spouse; choice, in fact any choice situation poses a problem.
Conflicts have been described as approach-approach type, avoidance- avoidance type, and approach-avoidance type. But whatever be the nature of the conflict, it necessarily generates stress resulting in considerable amount of discomfort, restlessness, etc.
(iii) Pressure:
Contemporary society puts a lot of pressure on the individual. It is often very difficult to enjoy solitude. There is competition everywhere, for education, for job position and almost anything. There is a premium on success at any cost, and by and large success is measured in terms of possessions and positions.
We have to prove to be the fittest to survive (Darwin must be chuckling in his grave; whether his theme is scientific or not, it has proved prophetic). Today there is struggle for ‘moving up’ and the pity is, there is a struggle not only for real success but for imaginary success. The human being has become a victim of his own perverse value system.
Here, a problem arises as to who is the fittest. The Darwinian theory, simply and logically, based the ‘concept of fitness’ on the physical capacity of the organism to endure deprivation and possibly even competition. But, in our society, often it happens the other way.
Today “those who are successful are deemed to be the fittest, while according to Darwin, it would have been the other way. Instances are not wanting where a person who has been looked down as useless and good for nothing, if he somehow becomes successful is perceived and judged to be very capable and competitive. The same people who condemned him earlier very often can be heard saying I knew even then that he had some talent”.
Thus, with so much premium laid on competitive success, we notice a tendency for people to set for themselves unrealistic goals. The result is failure, leading to frustration, and ultimately emerging stress.
The fact that today’s society compels individuals to adapt and change their behaviour, whether it is really necessary or not, keeps an individual under pressure. This type of pressure operates in almost every walk of life. Every individual is expected to keep pace with this pressure which seriously affects what Toffler described as ‘adaptive circuits’. Similarly, inter-personal relationships can also produce stress.
The need to keep up appearances, the variations in the degree and type of inter-personal relations, all complicate life. You are expected to smile and be nice to a person whom you don’t like and who in your opinion is a despicable specimen.
In addition to the quality of relationship, the mere failure of interpersonal relationships makes a very high demand. In the traditional societies relationships were limited but stable. Unfortunately this is not the case in today’s society. The closest relationship can break for no reason.
Essay # 3. Causes of Stress:
The Stress results from a number of factors and can be definitely harmful to the individual. The effect of this harm can vary in form, degree and content. Stress is related to environmental factors or events of a personal nature like loss of a job, loss of a dear one, the fear of financial losses, or a series of crises etc.
Such factors which contribute to stress are described as stressors. These then create a need for the individual to change his habits, behaviour, attitudes, etc., which in turn enhance the stress. Thus, there appears to be a vicious circle-problems demand for change ineffective change increase in stress, and finally one reaches a stage where there can be a complete psychological breakdown.
It is not only the actual occurrence of an event, loss or failure, but even the perceived possibility of such an event can cause stress. For example, whenever our government proclaims that it wants to enforce austerity (often it is only a pretension), people are afraid of losing their jobs or blocking of promotions or future unemployment of their children.
Similarly, automation is perceived as likely to result in a loss of jobs or even reduced employment. Even today, there are many examples in our country, where people resist changes in organizations out of fear. The opposition to the move towards privatisation is an example of such anticipatory reaction.
A third set of factors relates not to situations as such, but to how people react and respond to this actual stress or anticipated stress. People differ in their reactions to the stress. Some react more intensely. Others seem to overcome the stress and a third set of people do not appear to be bothered at all.
It is here that we get into trouble. The onset and effects of stress are imperceptible, not visible and perhaps not consciously experienced by the person himself. At the other end there are people whose adjustment processes collapse and the effects are visible.
But even if the presence of stress is imperceptible, it can certainly affect the basic physiological processes and when sufficient amount of stress accumulates, can result in a breakdown, psycho-physiological disturbances, or defensive behaviour like withdrawal, rationalisation, conformity, etc.
Of course, there are individuals who are able to react to stress positively and effectively and in such cases stress turns out to be an advantage and brings out the best in the person. This possibility depends on how mild or severe the stress is and also what type of a person the individual is.
In view of this it has often been argued that a very mild degree of stress is in fact helpful and has motivating effect, but one does not know where the grey area is and at what point constructive stress can turn into destructive stress.
Essay # 4. Effects of Stress:
Stress affects the organism as a totality, even though the stressor may be located in any particular segment of his life space. For example, if the stress is related to the work situation it does not cease at 5.00 PM when the individual leaves the work spot. It continues to affect him even when he goes back home.
The effects of stress are general and diffused. Similarly, stressing situations of personal life can affect behaviour in the work situation, social interactions or for that matter in any situation.
Stress, then, is essentially a sort of pressure of a psychophysiological nature arising and accumulating as a result of environmental factors or as a result of an interaction between environmental factors and behavioural styles, necessitating varying degrees of behavioural changes cognitive, conative and affective.
The effect of this is to weigh the individual down and this manifests itself in various forms ranging from simple restlessness at one end to severe psychological breakdown at the other. Stress is very often caused by not just the intensity of the stressors but by our own reaction tendencies, emotions, desires, prejudices, etc. Incidentally stress can also be contagious.
Others can gift away their stress to us and the reverse is also possible. For example, during examination times it is often seen that if the child is under stress because of the competitive nature of the examination the parents also experience stress and almost become panicky. This is like the man experiencing labor pains when the woman is delivering a baby. Stress involves psychological, social, biological and physical factors and in most instances all operate together.
All of us experience stress of varying degrees of intensity. Of course, in most cases mild stress is overcome by learning new coping behaviour which not only helps us to overcome a present set of stress but also equips us to be in a position to face future stress. But, there are others who are not able to achieve this.
There are wide individual differences in the capacity for stress tolerance, and the ways in which people react to stress. Thus both acquisition of stress and the manner of reaction to it are the results of the type of socialisation and lifestyle of the individual.
Essay # 5. Factors Affecting Stress:
The term stress has been used by psychologists with varying meanings. An idea of the wide range of definitions can be had if one goes through the reviews by Janis and Levinthal, Apply & Trumble, Lazarus. Scots defines stress as a “situation in which adjustment is difficult or impossible but in which motivation is very strong”.
The emotional and psychological state resulting out of such a situation will be stress. This definition appears to be a more or less reasonable one, for anyone to begin a discussion on the problem of stress.
Some of the factors associated with experience of stress are physical changes, isolation, solitude, crowding, noise, lack of privacy, monotony and personality incompatibility. Very often these factors act in combination and rarely do we find that a single factor can account for all the stress.
It has been shown that continuous exposure to the situations can result in a high degree of stress, which in turn can have a lot of effects on performance and also debilitate the individual. There is some evidence, of course, to show that occasionally, a mild degree of stress can really augment and facilitate performance. Investigators have pointed, to an inverted U relationship, between the amount of stress and performance.
While there has been success in attempts at predicting individual reactions to stress, by and large there has not been much of a success achieved in predicting stress behaviour in general terms. Laboratory studies and field studies have often shown trends of results which differ from each other.
Laboratory simulations of stress, confinement and isolation, have been difficult to complete because of high emotional tension in performance and profound inter-personal conflicts. Field researches on the other hand, as in the armed forces, have noticed success in overcoming combat stress in exploration groups, paratroops landing etc. Thus, lab situations often result in wrong predictions and sometimes gross under-estimation of stress-tolerance.
Noise has been found to be one of the most severe stressors. A few studies on children have shown that children from noisy homes suffer from attention difficulties and consequently poor school performance. Noisy schools can also lead to health problems in children and in adults, high blood pressure, lower-tolerance level, reduction in auditory skills, etc.
Memory about contents of social situations in pictures viewed under conditions of noise are also affected. Mathews & Canney have shown that noise is such a stressor that it can adversely affect even helping behaviour. When we are under noisy conditions, we are inclined to be less helpful.
Heat is another factor which has been studied as a stressor. A commission, appointed to look into the 1960 riots in U.S.A., (Kemer Commission) noted that high temperature was related with extensity and intensity of the riots. A number of other researches have also found supporting evidence.
Personality Factors:
There are certain psychological or personality factors which contribute to stress proneness. Individuals differ in many aspects of behaviour and their ability to tolerate stress and reacting to the same are also related to personal factors.
Basic temperamental factors, previous experience, perceived extent of one’s control over the situation, all are important factors in shaping the individual’s reaction to stress. Friedmen & Rosennan have identified two types of personalities, Type A and Type B, the former always in a hurry and thus flaying with speed and restless.
He shows a tendency to crowd activities, or do many things at the same time. He is competitive, anxious, and always on the move. He is the typical hard driving achievement-oriented individual. Many such people experience more stress, often manifested in the form of cardio-vascular problems.
The Type-B is characterised by relaxed behaviour, cautious and tolerant. These types of individuals do not drive themselves nor drive others too much. They plan their activities and have higher degree of stress-tolerance. Researchers have shown that there is a fairly high degree of association between Type-A characteristics and proneness to accumulate stress and also being unable to deal with it effectively.
All these factors, like frustration, conflict, pressure and personality and stylistic factors provide a fertile soil for stress to develop and grow, in addition to external demands. The problem of stress experience is lessened if the individual has control over the situation and also control over himself.
A sense of helplessness increases the severity of the stress. It has been noticed interestingly, that there are instances, where actual stressing factors are not essential, but the individual’s anticipation of the same is enough. Similarly, it is not necessary that an individual should have the actual ability to control outside and inside factors of stress.
The perceived ability and confidence on the part of the individual about his ability to deal with the problems of stress is much more important. Thus, people with ‘internal locus of control’ look into themselves, are reflective, and are not simply swayed by the environment. They are found to have a greater ability for stress tolerance as observed by Bandura, Geer Davison & Gotchel.
The above discussion of stress as an interesting component of human life has helped to point out a number of factors; social, and psychological involved in the experience of stress. It is obvious then that an individual’s attitudes and values play an important role.
Similarly, an individual’s lifestyle or “reaction type” to the environment is also very crucial. The social psychologist can find very few problems to claim his attention which are more important than stress. He should be able to identify the various internal and external characteristics, which contribute to the onset and increase of stress.
Similarly, he can also think of suggesting necessary social support systems for those who are likely to be stress prone. It was seen that very often loneliness is critically associated with stress.
The social psychologist can work out ways and means to develop systems and institutions which will provide the necessary social support which, traditionally, the home and the school and religion were providing. However, one hopes that in the process he does not increase the stress of others, but also his own.
Today these institutions appear to have become ineffective. Franken Hauser has the following to say:
“When assessing the potential of psychology in promoting human health and welfare it is important to remember that people today have a much better chance than earlier generations, of shaping their own environment to suit human needs. Technology provides a tool and the task now is to devise application of new technology so that they can contribute to the realisation of social and human goals. What has been observed above is that it is mainly the shaping and consolidation of proper attitudes and values that is probably the most important requirement, and this certainly is the domain of the social psychologist. He cannot disown it and others cannot appropriate this responsibility to themselves”.
Essay # 6. Manifestations of Stress:
Stress often operates without being noticed. Every person has a certain capacity to tolerate stress. But if the stress goes on accumulating, slowly certain symptoms begin to appear.
Some of the common manifestations of stress are as follows:
It may appear as restlessness, increased anxiety and gradual decrease in efficiency. The individual after sometime really gives the appearance of being under tension.
Slowly symptoms of respiratory problems, cardio-vascular problems, ulcers, skin problems, etc., begin to appear; insomnia, decreased activity level, loss of efficiency, decreased ability to concentrate and increased irritability are also some possible manifestations. Often multiple symptoms can be evident.
Coleman observes that stress need not always be unpleasant and result in negative consequence; the instances where stress results in negative consequences are referred to as ‘distress’. On the other hand in certain instances other forms of stress can stimulate a person to become more efficient, more creative and active. This type of stress is known as Eustress.
The reader will certainly appreciate that, while the latter category of stress is welcome; the former is not. In fact, we may even say that very mild form of stress is often found to be congenial to more adaptive behaviour. But this type of stress is much less frequent than negative stress. Only people with very high degrees of ‘stress tolerance’ are likely to derive benefit out of Eustress.
Essay # 7. Stress Research:
Stress research has been carried out mainly along two lines. The first line takes a physiological approach because there certainly are physiological factors in the causation of stress. Some of the earliest experiments in this area were earned out by Selye. Selye observed that animals exhibited a generalized system of response to all threatening situations in addition to specific symptoms.
There is a General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) which includes the following:
(a) A system of signalling or alarm which arises and prepares the body to resist stress.
(b) The stage of resistance, wherein the body tries to cope with the stress.
When these operations in a cyclic form are repeated very often the organism reaches a third stage of exhaustion, and greater vulnerability to diseases. The work of Selye has very much influenced the nature and direction of research efforts to understand the problem of external stress and there is now a general consensus that attempts to cope with the stress can themselves contribute to stress as observed by Avens; Anderson & Tennent; Sklar & Anesmin.
Behavioural or psychological understanding of stress depends on how we define and approach the problem. We may take the approach that stress is a kind of demand or disturbance which appears capable of testing an individual’s abilities to adapt to various situations. Thus, we may look at stress as a potential threat to adaptability, readjustment, etc., and forcing the organism to seek re-adaptation.
Our adaptation to stress very much depends on how we estimate the severity of the stress. This primary appraisal should also include an assessment of our own resources to deal with them. It is the latter part which is sometimes called secondary appraisal.
However, our assessment of a stress situation is influenced by a number of factors including physical environment and social environment, our own past experience, values, motive, goals, etc. In general, researches have suggested a few models of stress. Perhaps a brief look at these models will be of interest.
(1) Arousal Model:
This model focuses on the intensity of the stimulation which arouses a stressful situation, both psychological and physiological in the individual. Thus, extreme temperature, noise, etc. can straightaway result in stress. The other models, however, focus on the adequacy or inadequacy of the individual’s coping mechanism or his resources.
(2) Information Overload Model:
The model lays emphasis on the fact that in contemporary society there is too much of information which an individual is not able to absorb. The only way of coping under this model is by eliminating or blocking out a certain part of the stimulation.
Milgram argues that the coldness of the modern urban individual is very much a result of this tendency to avoid stress by filtering out, evading or even eluding certain stimulation. This may have its consequences on his interpersonal relationships. When he needs emotional support he may not get it.
(3) Congruence Model:
The argument here is that stress occurs when we are in some way thwarted by the environment and unable to adjust in such a way that our goals will not be thwarted. For example, if there is too much crowd on the street, drivers may not be able to reach their destination fast. Too many telephone calls, may not permit you to do your work. This model has been proposed by Stohals.
Stress Research in India:
The nature of stress and its effects certainly appears to have been known to ancient India. The various prescriptions of how to live, what to do and what not to do, the intricate details about styles of lives, what to eat what not to eat, what to hear and what not to hear, what to see and what not to see and also the elaborate working out of Yagnas, Yogic exercises, etc. stand as eloquent evidence to the fact that the ancient Indian thinkers had a fairly in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon of stress, its adverse effects and also the methods of coping with stress.
The doctrine of the three gunas, Satva, Rajas and Tamas as also the elaborate enunciation of the doctrine of humour (body hormones). Kapha, Pitha and Vata (dhatus) are all strong indicators of the pre-occupation of ancient Indian science with the phenomenon of stress, understanding its aetiological factors including personality and temperamental factors.
Ramachandra Rao traces the concept of stress to the Sankhya and Yoga systems of philosophy. He draws our attention to the two terms Klesa and Dhukha, whose meanings appear to bear a considerable amount of resemblance to the present day description of stress.
Ancient Indian texts also have made references to three types of stress, personal stress (Adhyatmika), situational stress (Adhibhautika) and environmental stress (Adhidivika).
We can see here an anticipation of what we to-day call indigenous personal factors in stress, situational or episodic factors in stress and finally ecological environmental factors. Ancient Indian theory had also mentioned a number of mechanisms of coping with stress and understanding the same.
It was ultimately realised that in the last analysis it is the individual who should help himself by organising his way of life. The fact that in describing various stages of life (Ashramas), prescribing specific duties and also the very insightful emphasis on gradual withdrawal and disengagement from active life and taking to introspection, spiritual pre-occupation and learning to live by oneself, all this is a very eloquent reflection of the depth of knowledge the ancient Indians had, about the origins, effects and manifestations of stress and related phenomena and also the means of dealing with them.
But as is usual the thread of research and analysis of stress by ancient Indian thinkers was lost sight of. But during the past decade, there has been a re-awakening of interest in re-discovering what ancient Indian thinkers and scientists had to say on this problem.
It is only hoped that this is a genuine attempt at rediscovery and not pseudo patriotic revivalism. An attempt is made here to provide the reader with some idea of the researches and studies which are being undertaken in India in the field of stress including attempts to understand ancient Indian efforts to deal with the problem of stress.
Studies Relating to Physical and Psycho-Physiological Disorders:
A very active area of stress research in India relates to the role played by stress in the onset of different types of physical disorders like coronary disorders, (myocardial infarction,) cancer and depression. This line of research on the role of stress and personality factors associated with stress proneness appears to be the most active and productive.
This line of research has brought together medical scientists, physiologists and psychologists. Some of the studies that can be mentioned in this regard are those of : Ashok Kumar al; Bhargava, S.C. et al, Bhaskar Naidu & Venkat Ramaiah; Khorana, S; Rama Rao M.V., .et al; Katiyar M. et al; Shanmugam T.E.; Srivastava S et al; and Venkob Rao. The studies relate to life events, which are stress producing.
Another line of investigation has been devoted to the identification of the various factors and events and experiences in life that can pre-dispose an individual to develop stress.
Some studies along these lines are those of Singh, S.P. et al Venkob Rao & Nammalvar; Bhaskar Naidu; Venkat Ramaiah; Harim Kumar & Indira, R. Chatopadyay RK. & Das, M. It may thus be seen that the second line of investigations concerned with life experiences associated with stress and also their relationship to certain types of disorders, like depression, is also fairly rigorous and active.
Other Lines of Research:
Another set of investigations has been involved in devising and standardizing different types of tools for assessing the amount of stress and also related personality dimensions like those of Gurumeeth Singh et al, and Singh, G. et al. Some of the other areas of research are stress in organisations, and different kinds of employment as seen in the studies of Rama Murthy et al. Sharma & Sharma and Srivastava, A.K.
It may thus be seen that the research and study of stress, and its various aspects including causes, role in various disturbances, measurement problems and addictions are the few areas where Indian scientists have been taking interest.
Incidentally it may also be noted that a vast majority of these studies have been carried out in the post-1980 period indicating that stress research in India is of recent origin and is bound to gather more momentum.
Recently the author had the opportunity of looking into an unpublished piece of research which has attempted to relate stress experience to personality factors, conceptualized on the basis of ancient Indian ideas spelt out in the Sankhya philosophy and elaborated much more in the Bhagavad-Gita.
It is hoped that stress research in India will very soon expand to investigate the role of social and socio-psychological and present day cultural factors in the genesis of stress and also mechanisms which appear to be emerging for coping with stress.
Attribution Mode:
The concept of ‘attribution’ has also been employed to understand the phenomenon of crowding. Crowding results in a limitation of one’s ‘personal space’, ‘loss of control’ and other negative processes.
These become operative and explosive but only if the person concerned who is experiencing the above conditions tries to attribute them to some other source, human or otherwise. According to Worchell, crowding as a state thus results from attribution of personal discomfort to external agencies.
The focus of the person’s attention very often shifts under conditions of high density and the nature, and this kind of shift to a considerable extent, influences the nature and intensity of the negative effects of ‘felt crowding’. Worchell, Brown & Webb stated that the individual will experience stress only if he attributes it to the density and not otherwise.