Environmental psychology: stress concepts, impacts, and behavioral effects

Stress

Definition of stress

Researchers define stress as a physical, mental, or emotional response to events that causes bodily or mental tension. Simply put, stress is any outside force or event that has an effect on our body or mind. Acute stress is the most common form of stress. It comes from demands and pressures of the recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the near future. Acute stress is thrilling and exciting in small doses, but too much is exhausting. Acute stress can be episodic or chronic.

Depending on the stressors and the types of changes or events, stress can manifest itself physically, emotionally and/or mentally. Physical stress occurs when the body as a whole starts to suffer as a result of a stressful situation. Symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways and vary in their seriousness. Emotional stress are responses due to stress affecting the mind and include anxiety, anger, depression, irritability, frustration, over-reaction to everyday problems, memory loss and a lack of concentration for any task. Long-term stress can cause psychological problems in some individuals. Symptoms include withdrawal from society, phobias, compulsive behaviors, eating disorders and night terrors.

Impact of Stress on Behavior, Psychological and Physical Well-Being

The human body is well adapted to deal with short-term stress, but if it remains under stress for an extended period of time it can grow vulnerable to some serious health problems. Signs of stress include poor judgment, a general negative outlook, excessive worrying, moodiness, irritability, agitation, inability to relax, feeling lonely, isolated or depressed, acne, aches and pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, eating too much or not enough, sleeping too much or not enough, social withdrawal, procrastination or neglect of responsibilities, increased alcohol, nicotine or drug consumption, and nervous habits such as pacing about, nail-biting, and neck pains

Long-term stress affects the nervous system by impairing memory, learning and increasing the chances for depression. The endocrine system releases stress hormones which trigger the liver to produce more blood sugar putting the body at risk for type 2 diabetes. Over the long-term, the strain on the respiratory system can make the body more susceptible to upper-respiratory infections. Prolonged stress on the cardiovascular system can cause narrowing of the arteries and elevate cholesterol levels, upping chances of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Stress affects the reproductive system by shortening or lengthening menstrual cycles, and can make periods more painful. Furthermore, high levels of stress make bacterial vaginosis (BV) more likely and, during pregnancy, may increase the chance of your baby's developing asthma or allergies later in life. Short-term stress can actually boost the immune system, helping your body fight infection. Ongoing stress, however, turns things in the other direction, possibly slowing wound healing, increasing susceptibility to infection, and worsening skin conditions such as eczema, hives, and acne. Finally, long-term stress affects the musculoskeletal system. Muscles tense to deal with what the body perceives as danger. Constantly tight muscles can cause headaches and neck, shoulder, and back pain. Chronic stress may also increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis.