_Theories of stress _what is stress

One of the connections I have researched is the link between stress and relaxation. Many busy professionals suffer from stress and these are the people who can afford to use such facilities as spa's.

Questions which I have started to question myself whilst researching stress and spa use in the Uk include the in balance in proportion between female and male spa- goers, why do more females go to spa's in the UK than males when this is not the case in other parts of the world.

I have carried out some research into stress and found the following interesting information at http://www.garysturt.free-online.co.uk/theostre.htm.


"Stress has been viewed in three ways:

-Stimulus
-Response
-Process.

Stimulus refers to stress, which can be categorised as emanating from three sources:
1)Catastrophic events, such as Tornadoes and earthquakes,
2)Major life events,
3)Chronic circumstances, such as living in crowded or noisy conditions.

Response refers to how somebody responds to a particular stress, for example sitting an examination. There are two components:
1)Physiological, heightened bodily arousal-your heart pounds, mouth goes dry your stomach feels tight and you perspire.
2)Psychological, involving behaviour, thought patterns, and emotions. Feeling nervous.

Process views stress as a series of interactions and adjustments between the person and the environment. These interactions and adjustments are called transactions. Stress is not seen as a stimulus or a response, but rather as a process. The person suffering stress is seen as an active agent who can influence the impact of a stressor through behavioural, cognitive and emotional strategies.

A good definition of stress would be that stress is the condition that results when the person/environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy-whether real or not-between the demands of a situation and the resources of the persons biological, psychological, or social systems.

Success and failure in previous transactions would determine the amount of stress perceived."