What is stress?

What is stress, and what can cause it?

Life without stimulus would be incredibly dull and boring. Life with too much
stimulus becomes unpleasant and tiring, and may ultimately damage your health
or well-being. Too much stress can seriously interfere with your ability to perform
effectively. The art of stress management is to keep yourself at a level of stimulation that is healthy and enjoyable. Most people realize that aspects of their work and lifestyle can cause stress.
While this is true, it is also important to note that it can be caused by your
environment and by the food and drink you consume. There are several major
sources of stress:
Survival Stress: this may occur in cases where your survival or health is
threatened, where you are put under pressure, or where you experience some
unpleasant or challenging event. Here adrenaline is released in your body and
you experience all the symptoms of your body preparing for 'fight or flight'.
Internally Generated Stress: this can come from anxious worrying about events
beyond your control, from a tense, hurried approach to life, or from relationship
problems caused by your own behavior. It can also come from an 'addiction' to
and enjoyment of stress
Environmental and Job Stress: here your living or working environment causes
the stress. It may come from noise, crowding, pollution, untidiness, dirt or other
distractions. Alternatively stress can come from events at work.
Fatigue and Overwork: here stress builds up over a long period. This can occur
where you try to achieve too much in too little time, or where you are not using
effective time management strategies.