Environmental stressors such as injustice. Emotional abuse, aggression and stress in the educational process

Stressors - factors influencing the occurrence of a state of stress - are life situations, events that

Chapter 12. Stress and conflicts

can be systematized by the intensity of the negative impact and the time required for adaptation. In accordance with this, they distinguish:

Everyday difficulties, troubles, difficulties. The time to adapt to them ranges from several minutes to several hours;

Critical life, traumatic events. Time for adaptation - from several weeks to several months;

Chronic stressors that can last for years.

In accordance with the identified types of professional stress, stress factors of work can be classified as follows:

I. Production related to working conditions and workplace organization:

Overload;

Monotonous work;

Microclimate of the working area (noise, vibration, lighting);

Interior, room design;

Organization of an individual workplace;

Inconvenient work schedule, overtime;

Safety.

P. Factors related to the profession:

Understanding the goals of the activity (clarity, inconsistency, reality);

Professional experience, level of knowledge;

Vocational training, retraining;

Opportunity to demonstrate creative abilities;

Role status;

Psychological climate in the team (relationships with colleagues, clients, interpersonal conflicts);

Social responsibility;

Feedback on performance results; III. Structural:

Organizational management (centralization, opportunity for employees to participate in management);

The relationship between structure and function, goals of the organization;

Insubordination, incorrectly constructed hierarchy;

Specialization and division of labor;

Personnel policies, promotions (too fast or too slow);

Interpersonal relationships with management, conflicts;
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12.1. Stress

IV. Personal:

Moral maturity and stability;

and purposefulness and discipline, accuracy;

and satisfaction of expectations and performance results (correlation of expectations and goals);

and frustration, the inability to satisfy needs;

and personality characteristics (emotional instability, inadequate self-esteem, anxiety, aggressiveness, risk-taking, etc.);

and features of the mental state (presence of fatigue);

Features of the physiological state (presence of acute and chronic diseases, biological rhythms, bad habits, age-related changes).

PSYCHODAGNOSTICS OF STRESS

A key role in the process of stress management belongs to monitoring their level, based on monitoring the characteristic signs of stress. Although stress manifests itself externally at the bodily and behavioral level, it is often impossible to determine the presence of a stressful condition just by external signs, since the tension in some people may not be expressed even at critical moments.

Changes as a result of stress manifest themselves in all areas of the psyche. In the emotional sphere, a feeling of anxiety arises, a heightened perception of the significance of what is happening. In cognitive - perception of threat, assessment of the situation as uncertain, awareness of the danger of the situation. In the motivational sphere - a sharp mobilization or complete demobilization of all forces and resources. In the behavioral sphere - a change in the usual pace and rhythm of activity, the appearance of “stiffness” in movements. All these changes have something in common: all of them are characterized by a change in the intensity of processes in this sphere towards a decrease or increase.

Monitoring and assessing stress can be carried out using various tests, one of which may be the “Stress Symptom Inventory” test.

To effectively manage an enterprise or firm, it is necessary to take into account organizational stress, i.e. mental stress associated with performing professional duties in the structure of the organization. To assess and measure stress resistance to organizational

Chapter 12. Stress and conflicts

stress associated with the ability to communicate, respond adequately and assess the situation, etc., you can use the organizational stress scale. The lower the total indicator of organizational stress, the higher the resistance to it, and the higher it is, the stronger the predisposition to experience distress and various syndromes that arise as a result of a stressful situation, such as professional burnout syndrome.

To assess neuropsychic stress, you can use a psychological stress scale, the purpose of which is to measure stressful sensations based on somatic, behavioral, and emotional signs. The technique was originally developed in France and was widely used in psychological research in Canada, England, the USA, and Japan. The developed test examines in detail the condition of a person exposed to a stressful situation.

Using the scale below, you can assess the general condition of the body. It is better to choose those values ​​that most accurately correspond to the state of the last 4 - 5 days. There are no wrong or wrong answers here.

TABLE 12.1 Psychological Stress Scale

2) assessment stressors (performance assessment): a) “start” stressors and memory stressors (upcoming competitions, memories of grief, anticipation of a threat); b) victories and defeats (victory, love, defeat, death of a loved one); c) spectacles;

3) stressors of discrepancy between activities: a) dissociation (conflicts in the family, at school, threat or unexpected news); b) psychosocial and physiological limitations (sensory deprivation, muscle deprivation, diseases that limit communication and activity, parental discomfort, hunger);

4) physical and natural stressors: muscular loads, surgical interventions, injuries, darkness, strong sound, pitching, heat, earthquake.

Short-term stressors are everyday hassles (can be of small or medium negative significance) that require minutes to adapt to.

Long-term stressors include critical life events, traumatic events that require qualitative structural reorganization in the structure of a person’s personality and are accompanied not only by short-term emotions, but by persistent affective reactions; take longer to adapt to than everyday stressors; Chronic stressors last a long time: as a result of constantly recurring troubles with the family, overload at work, or after serious, subjectively significant events (divorce, for example).

Stress reactions are:

Typical emotional stress reactions are reactions of two types: sthenic (anger, anger) or asthenic (fear, sadness, resentment). Among behavioral reactions, two extreme poles of behavior can also be distinguished: the flight reaction or the fight reaction.

The fight or flight response is sometimes called stress reactivity. This reaction consists of an increase in muscle tension, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and nervous arousal, etc. (we will look at the physiology of stress in more detail during the next lecture). This reaction prepares us for quick action. At the same time, our body produces substances that are not used in the future. Then it affects our health.

The longer we are in an altered physiological state (duration) and the more this change differs from the norm (degree), the more likely it is that such stress reactivity will turn into illness for us. Of these two indicators - duration and degree - duration is the most important.

Concept of stress. Types of stress

Stress is a set of protective physiological reactions that occur in the body of animals and humans in response to the influence of various unfavorable factors. In medicine, physiology, and psychology, positive (eustress) and negative (distress) forms of stress are distinguished. In the case of emotionally positive stress, the stressful situation is short-lived and you control it; usually in these cases there is nothing to fear: your body will be able to quickly rest and recover after the explosion of activity of all systems.

There are short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) stress. They affect health differently. Long-term has more severe consequences.

Acute stress is characterized by the speed and suddenness with which it occurs. The extreme degree of acute stress is shock. There have been shocking situations in every person's life.

Shock and acute stress almost always turn into chronic, long-term stress. The shock situation has passed, you seem to have recovered from the shock, but the memories of what you experienced come back again and again.

Long-term stress is not necessarily a consequence of acute stress; it often arises due to seemingly insignificant factors, but constantly acting and numerous (for example, job dissatisfaction, tense relationships with colleagues and relatives, etc.).

Physiological stress occurs as a result of direct effects on the body of various negative factors (pain, cold, heat, hunger, thirst, physical overload, etc.)

Psychological stress is caused by factors that act through their signaling value: deception, resentment, threat, danger, information overload, etc.

Emotional stress occurs in situations that threaten a person’s safety (crimes, accidents, wars, serious illnesses, etc.), his social status, economic well-being, interpersonal relationships (job loss, family problems, etc.).

Information stress occurs when there is information overload, when a person who bears great responsibility for the consequences of his actions does not have time to make the right decisions. Information stress is very common in the work of dispatchers and operators of technical control systems.

Psycho-emotional stress is a protective-adaptive reaction that mobilizes the body to overcome various obstacles that disrupt life, when many conflict situations arise in which the subject is limited in the ability to satisfy his basic vital biological and social needs.

Describing the stress process, Selye identified three phases:

1) Anxiety reaction - occurs immediately after exposure to any stressor and is expressed in tension and a sharp decrease in the body's resistance. The sympathetic nervous system is excited; The hypothalamus sends a chemical signal to the pituitary gland, causing it to increase the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn travels with the blood to the adrenal glands and causes the secretion of corticosteroids - hormones that prepare the entire body for action and possible fight against damaging factors. Scientists measure the stress response by increases in norepinephrine, ACTH, or corticosteroids in the blood;

2) The resistance phase, characterized by the mobilization of the body's resources to overcome a stressful situation. During psychological stress, the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for fight or flight;

Every person goes through these two stages many times. When resistance is successful, the body returns to normal.

3) The phase of exhaustion, which corresponds to a persistent decrease in the body’s resources. It occurs when the stressor continues to act for a sufficient period of time.

Stress is a nonspecific reaction of the body to the action of extreme factors, any difficult or threatening situation. When stressed, the body produces the hormone adrenaline, the main function of which is to make the body survive. Stress is a normal part of human life and is necessary in certain amounts. If there were no stressful situations in our lives, elements of competition, risk, and the desire to work to the limit of our capabilities, life would be much more boring. Sometimes stress acts as a kind of challenge or motivation, which is necessary to feel the fullness of emotions, even when it comes to survival. If the totality of these challenges and complex tasks becomes very large, then the person’s ability to cope with these tasks is gradually lost.

Anxiety is a state of mind and body associated with worry, tension and nervousness. There are times in every person's life when they experience stress or anxiety. In essence, a state of anxiety helps a person cope with external dangers by forcing the brain to work intensively and bringing the body into a state of readiness for action. When worries and fears begin to overwhelm a person and affect his daily life, so-called anxiety disorders can occur. Anxiety disorders, including panic, fear of losing a job, specific fears, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and general anxiety, usually begin to appear in the post-teen years. Anxiety disorders are considered chronic diseases that can progress without treatment. At the moment, there are effective methods of treating them.

The main types of stress - studying the enemy, winning the battle

The desire for peace is characteristic not only of any body in the universe, but also of the nervous system. Any external impact on the body triggers an adaptive reaction – stress. What are the basic types of stress? There are four main groups: eustress, distress, physiological and psychological form. The classification of stress takes into account the degree of harmful influence of stimuli, the ability to independently cope with the load and the speed of restoration of stability of the nervous system.

What are the types of stress?

In psychology, it is customary to divide such a load into two main categories:

The stress triggering mechanism is necessary for a person to survive, since it is a form of adaptation to a changing world. Short-term stress tones the body, releasing energy that allows a person to quickly mobilize internal resources. The excitable stage of eustress lasts a matter of minutes, so the nervous system quickly restores stability and negative aspects do not have time to manifest themselves.

“Bad” stress in psychology is an impact that the body is not able to cope with on its own. We are talking about long-term stress, when mental resources are not enough for adaptation, or we are talking about a violation of physical health. Distress involves a detrimental effect on the body - in critical cases, a person completely loses working capacity without proper treatment. Long-term stress contributes to the depletion of the immune system, which in turn leads to a number of chronic or acute diseases.

Physiological stress is an elementary form of adaptation

The classification of stress is also based on the way adaptation processes are triggered. Categories of “simple” stress take into account a minimum set of influences – environmental factors, physical overload. The result is physiological stress.

This form implies an acute reaction of the body to the aggressive influence of the surrounding world. Sudden temperature changes, excessive moisture, prolonged lack of food or drinking water, piercing wind, excessive heat or cold - any such factor requires excessive mobilization. Triggers of physiological stress should also include excessive physical activity, typical of athletes, as well as dietary deviations provoked by excessive or insufficient nutrition (gluttony or starvation).

Popular psychology identifies a special food form of stress, which is provoked by poor nutrition (violation of the regime, inadequate selection of foods, excessive consumption of food or refusal of it).

Under normal circumstances, the physiological form passes without a trace due to the high endurance of the human body. However, in the case when a person remains in an uncomfortable state for a long time, his body ceases to adapt correctly and a malfunction occurs at the physical level - a disease occurs.

Psychological stress

Psychological stress is the scourge of our time. This form has become a characteristic feature of the era, since it is directly related to the adequacy of human interaction with society. If at the physical level adaptation is the primary guarantee of survival and is facilitated by a powerful mechanism of instinctive reactions, then psychological stress can unsettle a person for a long time.

Characteristics of the psychological form of stress

A “undermined” psyche is the result of an extreme reaction to two types of influence - informational or emotional factors.

1. Information overload. Knowledge workers know from their own experience what the consequences of receiving a large amount of information can be. Although information processing is a basic function of the cerebral hemispheres, too much data leads to detrimental consequences. The failure is reminiscent of a computer freezing - the ability to concentrate decreases, thought processes slow down, logic violations are observed, the acuity of thought decreases, and the imagination dries up.
2. Emotional overload. The actual mental form of stress involves emotional overloads of various kinds (positive and negative), which are an integral part of a person’s life in society.

1. Interpersonal types of stress. Psychological stress occurs after experiencing intense emotions for which a person was emotionally unprepared. Sudden happiness has the same detrimental effect on the psyche as sudden grief. Sudden changes in life lead to mental overload and a state of prolonged stress. Often, after achieving a desired goal or frustration (loss of what is desired), a person loses the ability to actively act and experience subtle emotions for a long time - a specific phenomenon such as “emotional dullness” arises. The main environment for the occurrence of psychological stress is intra-family communication, as well as professional expectations. Creating a family and career achievements are part of the set of basic human desires, so any changes in these areas destabilize the psyche.
2. Intrapersonal form. An acute conflict with oneself caused by the discrepancy between reality and expectations, as well as age-related crises caused by the need to move to a new social level and associated with physiological changes (aging), have a detrimental effect on the psyche.

Reaction to psychological stress - recovery methods

Psychological stress causes a set of standard reactions. At the initial stage, there is a sharp increase in activity and the release of internal mental resources. Potentially, a person who is in an acute stage of stress is capable of performing all sorts of feats and “miracles.”

Examples of acute psychological stress

A typical example of acute psychological stress is a situation when a person finds himself on the brink between life and death. The nervous tension caused by being in a hot spot allows a soldier to not experience pain from a severe wound for a long time. A mother, observing a picture of mortal danger for her child, is able to activate incredible physical strength and easily push a heavy car away from her baby. A frightened person, who in ordinary life is unable to climb even to the second floor without shortness of breath, can easily jump over a two-meter fence if attacked by a dog.

Consequences of acute stress

When the moment of danger passes, a stage of relaxation begins and complete psychological exhaustion is observed. If physical recovery occurs relatively quickly (depending on the presence or absence of damage or illness), then the psyche can take years to recover. However, most often the consequences of emotional overload are severe physical illness caused by a weakened immune system or a malfunction of internal organs.

Everyday stress - office sickness

The most disgusting type of emotional overload is chronic stress. The stress on the psyche is not particularly intense, but occurs cyclically - every day a person has to deal with a number of unpleasant and rather monotonous problems. The lack of vivid impressions, a change of environment, disruption of the daily routine and constant receipt of negative emotions leads to a state of chronic stress.

In the absence of proper treatment, a number of mental disorders may occur - depersonalization, neurosis, depression. A person who does not have deep knowledge of psychology is not able to cope with chronic stress on his own. It is necessary to consult an experienced psychologist who will select primary treatment. However, in the initial stages (before the onset of anxious apathy and a feeling of the meaninglessness of life), a change of environment (vacation) and normalization of the daily routine helps.

A very effective method of combating chronic stress is sufficient physical activity, as well as frequent walks in the fresh air. In a situation where serious personal changes are observed, it is wiser not to self-medicate, but to ask for help from a specialist.

Stressors - types, classification, influence

Every day a person faces many stressful situations. There is no escape from this, so psychology offers people ways to avoid or deal with stress.

What stressors surround a person and how a person reacts to them determines the overall picture of his psychophysical and emotional state.

Types of stress - good and bad

The principle of action of stressors on the body

Stress is the body's reaction to stimuli, called stressors. In psychology, there are such concepts as beneficial and harmful stress. They are distinguished by their effects on the human body and by the consequences that arise after some time.

Distress has a destructive effect on the nervous system and internal organs of a person. It is this that causes depression, chronic diseases and mental disorders. In addition to it, there is also eustress - a positive form of stress. It does not have a destructive effect and is often associated with joyful moments in a person’s life.

Stressors can be any factors that surround a person in everyday life.

Some have a short-term and minor effect on the subject, while others act for a long time, which leads to chronic manifestations of stress.

One way or another, it is impossible to completely get rid of them. In order to reduce the impact of stressors on the body, psychologists have developed special techniques and training to increase the stress resistance of individuals.

Stages of stress development

Classification of stressors according to L. V. Levi

According to the works of L.V. Levi, a person is constantly in a state of stress. This is due to any external influence or processes within the body. Levy divides stressors into two types: short-term and long-term.

Short-term stressors

They may occur suddenly or recur over a period of time. They have a minor effect on the nervous system and cannot become chronic. These include:

1. Failures, mistakes, mistakes. Signals can also come when reminded of a stressor. If a person independently remembers a past bad experience or someone reminds him of it, then the intensity of stress can be as strong as at the time of the event. In general, the severity of the reaction to memories decreases over time.
2. Noise, bright light, unpleasant swings, temperature changes. The impact of external stimuli on an individual while he is performing any work leads to a decrease in concentration.
3. Fear, fright. Expectation and fear of physical pain, fear of hurting others, criticism or ridicule of oneself lead a person to a state of stress. If a person experiences these feelings over a long period of time, they become long-term stressors.
4. Discomfort. The influence of external factors on the human body, such as heat, cold, dampness, etc., causes a reaction of the defense system, which is completely normal.
5. Speed, haste, high tempo. When a subject is rushed, forced to do something faster than he is accustomed to, he is exposed to a stressor.

Long-term stressors

Their long-term exposure not only makes adjustments to a calm and measured life, but can also significantly affect the subject’s health.

Stressor - military service

Long-term ones include:

1. Complete restriction or isolation. For example, imprisonment, total parental control, serving military service or a regular diet. Any infringement of the body in its usual needs affects the nervous system.
2. Dangerous work or extreme lifestyle. People who carry out their duties at risk with their lives are exposed to long-term stressors. Love of extreme sports or adrenaline addiction contribute to the manifestation of stressors.
3. Background exposure. With the constant need to resist in any area of ​​life, a person suffers in his psychophysical state. The reason for this may be enmity with some entity or military action.
4. Overwork, prolonged performance of the same type of work. Actions that lead to mental or physical fatigue can significantly affect the functioning of organs and systems.

In order to reduce the influence of surrounding stimuli, you need to avoid collisions with them or change your attitude towards them.

Impact of different types of stressors

Family stressors

The main environmental stressors lie not in the outside world, but in the family. The influence of stressors on a person’s psychophysical state is classified according to two parameters: a distinction is made between normative and non-normative stressors.

The first are a natural stage in the life of any individual. Like any violation of the boundaries of current reality, they cause a stressful state. Most often, eustress appears here. But distress is no less common.

Family stressors - parental quarrels

Crisis moments of a normative nature are:

• creating your own family;
• expecting the first child;
• raising a child, etc.

In addition to such stages in life, other incidents may occur that leave an imprint on all family members. It could be:

• illness or death of a loved one;
• divorce;
• division of children and property;
• treason;
• domestic violence;
• change of place of residence, etc.

Every family experiences stressful situations that can strengthen or destroy it. Regardless of the age and social status of family members, difficulties will certainly arise. The only difference is the nature of their origin and the reaction of household members to them. Poor communication between relatives only increases the impact of stressors on their lives.

Among other things, family stress is divided into horizontal and vertical stressors.

These are lines of development of stressful situations that have an impact not only on the current situation, but also on people’s future lives. This fact once again confirms that people, for the most part, repeat the lives of their parents.

What could be a stressor - list

Stressors by degree of control

Depending on the events occurring in a person’s life, his future destiny is formed. But the main thing that the body brings out of any stress is memory. The lack of stress resistance is compensated by aggressiveness and a conflictual attitude towards others. Over time, the subject becomes so accustomed to this state of affairs that he does not see other reaction options at all.

Psychologists have compiled a gradation of types of stressors: from those that can be influenced by a person to stressors that are beyond the control of the subject’s will. This helps to better understand the nature of the origin of stressors and develop principles for dealing with them.

2 types of stressors

The classification of stressors by degree of control can be considered using the following example:

• A torn button on a favorite suit - this factor can be completely corrected by the subject himself;
• Lack of money or other material assets can also be corrected. But you will have to put in more effort and spend a significant amount of time;
• Quarrels in the family - to correct the situation, the mutual desire of opponents will be required; resolving the situation on your own is very problematic;
• Illness – such a stressor cannot always be changed even with great desire and aspiration;
• Country of residence - can be corrected, but it will require a lot of effort, without a certain material base, this stressor cannot be excluded;
• Government - man alone cannot change this fact;
• The era – such a stressor cannot be changed in any way.

Illness is a serious stressor

If you look at this list, it becomes clear that the greatest discomfort is caused by those stressors that a person himself can influence. From this we can conclude that avoiding most distress is not so difficult.

Occupational stressors

Labor activity is the root of most psychophysical disorders, as well as chronic neuroses in middle-aged people. Unbearable loads, as well as pressure from management, put the subject into a stressful state. A person lives this story day after day, and stress becomes chronic.

Professional stressors - types

Work stressors look like overload and underload at work:

• Excessive work activity has an extremely negative effect on the body. It leads to the depletion of a person's physical and psychological resources.
• Lack provokes problems with the perception of the usefulness of one’s “I”. Possible decreased self-esteem and irritability.

Excess and lack of work activity have almost the same effect on the body.

Job stressors manifest themselves at the moment when a person becomes incomprehensible to the requirements for him. Uncertainty causes feelings of anxiety and inadequacy.

Career stressors are nothing more than a promotion or, conversely, its lack, or dismissal. Factors such as injustice towards employees also have an impact. Personal factors indicate problems in combining work and personal life.

Conclusion

Using the example of various types of stressors, we can consider the influence of the characteristics of stress resistance. The higher it is in a person, the less he is susceptible to distress.

Depending on the subject's lifestyle, he is exposed to various stressors. Their influence can be reduced, but avoiding them completely is simply unrealistic, because stress is an integral part of human life. It is thanks to stressors that his habits and instincts are formed, which are passed on from generation to generation and determine the behavioral reactions of various groups of people.

Types of stress

The concept has two meanings - “stress caused by positive emotions” and “mild stress that mobilizes the body.”

A negative type of stress that the body cannot cope with. It undermines human health and can lead to serious illnesses. The immune system suffers from stress. People under stress are more likely to become victims of infection, since the production of immune cells drops markedly during periods of physical or mental stress.

Emotional stress refers to the emotional processes that accompany stress and lead to adverse changes in the body. During stress, the emotional reaction develops earlier than others, activating the autonomic nervous system and its endocrine support. With prolonged or repeated stress, emotional arousal can stagnate, and the functioning of the body can go wrong.

Psychological stress, as a type of stress, is understood differently by different authors, but many authors define it as stress caused by social factors.

What is stress from a practical point of view? To understand this, let's look at the main symptoms of stress:

A constant feeling of irritation, depression, sometimes for no particular reason.

Bad, restless sleep.

Depression, physical weakness, headache, fatigue, reluctance to do anything.

Decreased concentration, making it difficult to study or work. Memory problems and decreased thinking speed.

The inability to relax, to put aside your affairs and problems.

Lack of interest in others, even in best friends, family and friends.

A constant desire to cry, tearfulness, sometimes turning into sobs, melancholy, pessimism, self-pity for your loved one.

Decreased appetite - although the opposite can also happen: excessive absorption of food.

Nervous tics and obsessive habits often appear: a person bites his lips, bites his nails, etc. Fussiness and distrust of everyone appear.

Later, Selye additionally introduced the concept of “positive stress” ( Eustress), and “negative stress” is designated as distress.

Positive Properties of Stress

And here we again give a small list:

According to Dr. Richard Shelton from the University of Alabama, stress does not always have a negative effect on the human body. Yes, if it has become chronic, then you should contact a specialist, but if stress occurs only periodically, then this can be beneficial

When exposed to stress, indicators of intellectual abilities increase, because the brain creates more neurotrophins that maintain neurons in a state of viability and ensure communication between them

Stress strengthens the immune system because... the body, feeling its impact, begins to prepare for potentially dangerous situations, during which interleukins are produced - substances, to some extent, responsible for maintaining normal immunity. Stress mobilizes the body's resistance, although only temporarily

The body becomes more resilient under the influence of stress, because stress can be called a kind of training for the emotional system and psyche. When a person faces stress and solves the problems associated with it, he becomes more resilient to more serious problems

Stress forms motivation. This type of stress is called positive or simply eleustress. It allows a person to enter a state that saves energy and resources, and as a result of which a person simply does not have time to procrastinate, reflect or worry

Johns Hopkins University experts have found that children of women who experienced mild or moderate forms of stress during pregnancy develop motor activity faster and motor skills

Severe stress dilates a person's pupils so that he can collect the maximum amount of visual information about current events

According to scientists, stress is the most important part of the evolutionary process, because it enhances a living being's ability to survive

Stress causes blood to thicken, which prepares the body for injury (but the other side of the coin is that blood clots can occur due to frequent stress)

How to deal with stress?

Many prevention methods can be performed without the help of a specialist. For example, for those who constantly live in a nervous environment and face stressful situations every day, psychotherapists advise:

treat current events more simply and not take them to heart;

learn to think positively, finding positive traits in every incident;

switch to pleasant thoughts. If you are overwhelmed by any negativity, force yourself to think about something else;

laugh more. As you know, laughter not only prolongs life, but also helps get rid of nervous tension;

engage in physical education, because Sport is a good way to get rid of negativity and cope with stress.

Avoid unnecessary stress.

It is impossible to avoid all stressful situations. There are, of course, some that, despite their unpleasantness, must be resolved. However, in life there is a huge amount of stress that can still be avoided.

Try to change the situation.

If you can't avoid a stressful situation, try changing it. Find out how you can change things to prevent this problem from occurring in the future. This often involves changes in interpersonal communication and work in your daily life.

Adaptation to a stressor

If you cannot change a stressful situation, then change your attitude and adapt to it. Look at stress from a slightly different angle

Accept what you can't change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You cannot prevent or change stress caused by a serious illness or death of a loved one, crisis, etc. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept these situations as they are.

Find time for relaxation and entertainment

If you regularly find time for relaxation and entertainment, then you will be better protected from the inevitable stressful situations.

Lead a healthy lifestyle

You can increase your resilience to stress by improving your physical health.

Types of stress and its stages

The set of various adverse reactions that predominantly occur in the human body due to the influence of negative factors is called stressful situations or stress. In simple terms, stress is a psychological, physiological and moral disorder of a person that occurs due to the influence of the following factors:

These are just a few of the main causes of stress, but in fact there are many more of them, which are very unfavorable for a person. Stress accompanies every person every day, this unfavorable ailment affects everyone, so it is important to know the main types and stages of such disorders, as well as ways to combat and prevent them.

Types of stress

The final result of the development of stress led to its division into two types:

These types of stress have opposite characteristics, so let's look at them in more detail.

1. Eustress is an effect on the human body predominantly from a positive side. In this case, the disorder is justified by positive emotions, which the person is ready for and is confident that he can cope with them. Eustress is also called the awakening reaction, since positive emotions are the main driving force of a person to positive actions. This type is a kind of portion of adrenaline received by a person due to any positive excitement or joy. Eustress is not a dangerous form of the disease and has predominantly positive properties.
2. Distress is the reverse reaction of eustress on the body. Distress occurs due to the impact of critical overstrain on the body. It is distress that is the main type of stress and, accordingly, psychological disorder in a person. Distress is also called harmful stress, since it only contributes to a negative effect on the body and the development of other types of diseases in humans.

Distress is divided, in turn, into the following subtypes:

Each of the presented species has a negative impact on humans, thereby causing various disorders and diseases. Stress can arise spontaneously in the event of unfavorable news, or accumulate over the years. The accumulated type is the most dangerous, as against its background the development of a chronic disease occurs, from which it is impossible to get rid of.

Let's take a closer look at what each subtype of distress is.

• Psychological and emotional distress. This illness is associated exclusively with experiences against the background of various emotions. The consequences of the psychological type of disease are unfavorable relationships with society. The emotional appearance occurs during the influence on the body of both positive emotions (eustress) and negative ones (distress). Emotional types include, for example, an increase in wages, a promotion, or the death of a loved one.
• Physiological distress. This type occurs due to the negative impact on the body of the following factors: heat, hunger, thirst, cold, love and others. In case of exposure of one’s body to one of the above factors, a person is forced to cause harm to himself. Even after the cessation of exposure to these factors, a person continues to develop an unfavorable condition. As a result of exposure to negative factors, the following series of negative consequences arises: lack of sleep, stomach problems, overwork and others.
• Chronic distress. This type is the most dangerous, since a person is exposed to negative influences on a daily basis, even without the presence of appropriate reasons. The consequences for the chronic type are the most unfavorable, as they lead to the development of suicide, depression, nervous breakdown, etc. Often people diagnosed with chronic stress end up in a psychiatric hospital. The disease has no cure, which makes it even more dangerous.
• Nervous distress. This type occurs mainly under the influence of excessive stress. It can affect both a completely healthy person and people diagnosed with anxiety neurosis. The development of this species is influenced mainly by the individual conditions of the human nervous system.

There are also two additional types: managerial and information stress.

Informational is characterized by provoking frustration due to the lack of information to make an important decision. Very often a person on the path has to face moments when he immediately has to make a decision and both his future and the future of other people will depend on its result.

The management view is something similar to the information view, but the only difference is the responsibility for the decision made.

Thus, knowing the main types of stress, let’s consider the causes of their occurrence.

Causes

The main causes of psycho-emotional disorders in humans are considered to be so-called stressors. There are three groups of stressors, which have their own causes.

1. Uncontrollable. These include the following reasons for the negative impact on a person: taxes, worsening weather, increased exchange rates, inflation. Under the influence of such reasons, a person becomes more and more nervous and worried every day, resulting in mental disorders.
2. Subjects. These are the reasons that a person can correct, but does not do so due to lack of self-confidence and other signs. An example of such reasons are: inability to plan the day, inability to determine priorities, etc.
3. Unauthorized. Caused by turning everyday life into a problem. A person worries about every little thing, as a result of which everything is deposited in the brain and over time gives its negative impact.

The cause of chronic stress is any negative psychological disorder that accompanies a person for a long time.

For your information! Many consider everyday life stressful and believe that treating nervous disorders is unnecessary. But few people know that all fatal, oncological and mental endings come precisely from stress.

Symptoms

Almost every person has psychological disorders, so it is important to know the main symptoms of stress so that it can be detected for the purpose of further treatment. Symptoms of stress for each type are almost identical and are characterized by the following manifestations:

• The person experiences an increase in anxiety;
• Constant tension, which makes it impossible for a person to relax;
• Manifestation of short temper, anxiety, nervousness, irritability and aggression.
• The occurrence of inadequate reactions to various stimuli;
• Decreased concentration;
• The appearance of apathy, melancholy;
• Feeling depressed and depressed;
• Inability to enjoy pleasant events;
• Feeling of dissatisfaction and resentment towards others;
• Capriciousness towards the smallest details;
• Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract: the patient either loses appetite, or, conversely, begins to eat more often;
• Sleep disturbance, insomnia and early awakening;
• There is a change in behavior for the worse.

All these symptoms are the main signs of psychological disorders in a person and indicate that you need to immediately consult a doctor.

Stages and symptoms

The stages of stress, or they are also called phases, are divided into three stages, through which a psychological illness occurs. So, the stages of stress are called:

The anxiety stage occurs when a stimulus directly affects the human body. As a result of the negative influence, stress hormones are released, which are aimed primarily at protection or escape. The adrenal glands, digestive system and immunity take part in the construction of this stage. At the very beginning of this stage, a sharp decrease in the body’s protective function occurs, which leads to the manifestation of various diseases. If the anxiety stage is resolved over a short period of time (i.e. physical fight, flight, decision-making), then the symptoms of the disease disappear, but there is always a tendency for them to appear. In case of prolonged influence on the body, its constant depletion occurs. In some critical situations, the initial stage leads to death.

The symptoms of the initial stage are almost unnoticeable, since the person attributes all negative manifestations to fatigue. Often the initial stage is characterized by nervousness, agitation and a state of constant or periodic tension.

Resistance stage. In the case of a predominance of the force of the stressor over the body’s ability to adapt, signs of anxiety disappear and the level of the body’s resistance increases.

Resistance moves to a higher level, and, in turn, anxiety, nerves and aggression disappear or reduce their manifestations. If you do not solve the problem of stress in time, the body will not be able to provide long-term resistance and the stage of exhaustion will begin.

Symptoms of the second stage are mainly caused by increased fatigue of the body, even if the person did not perform physical and intellectual activities. There is also nervousness, anxiety, frequent headaches and even dizziness. Shortness of breath and tachycardia begin to appear, digestion is disrupted and trembling of the limbs is noticed.

Exhaustion stage. The limit of the body's resistance noticeably decreases and the first stage begins to gain momentum, but without the possibility of reversible processes. The third stage almost always has a sad outcome; if the stressor acted as a physical irritant, then the person will face death, and in the case of a psychological aggressor, problems corresponding to this level are observed.

Symptoms of this stage are mainly characterized by the appearance of constant apathy, bad mood, and inability to have fun. Often in the last stage, a person experiences sleep disturbance, which leads to lack of sleep and drowsiness while awake.

The stages of stress have not yet been fully studied, and their study continues to this day, so medicine does not stand still and is looking for radical solutions to the global type of disease.

Prevention and treatment

If we talk about stress prevention, then, unfortunately, this is a rather difficult stage, because even pessimists exhibit these symptoms. To get rid of emotional influence, a person needs to spend time with his family more often, enjoy life, praise himself and his loved ones, enjoy life, relax, take breaks and distract from problems at work or at home with the help of hobbies and hobbies. Such unloading will not only help you get rid of signs of stress, but will make your life easier.

If, for many reasons, a person does not have the opportunity for such preventive actions, then it is necessary to resort to drug treatment in a timely manner. The main helpers will be pills and potions for apathy, nerves and stress. In such situations, tablets and mixtures based on various medicinal and, most importantly, natural herbs are especially valued.

Important! Before starting self-medication, you should consult a doctor for advice and diagnosis. If problems are detected, the doctor will prescribe or recommend medications that will actually have a positive effect.

Today the most popular medications are:

In case of exacerbation of psychological disorders, treatment with more serious medications will be required: tranquilizers, non-steroids or benzodiazepines and beta-blockers.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of stress, which is the key to health and longevity. Learn to be happy and you can get rid of many problems and diseases.

Types of stress and classification - description, features and consequences

Every person experiences stress. On the way to work, throughout the workday and upon returning home, people face stressful situations.

For some, this lifestyle becomes familiar, they gradually adapt to it, and this is sad. After all, the consequence of nervous overstrain can be various physical and mental pathologies.

Stress: concept, types

As a result of events that occur in people's lives (conflicts, haste, troubles in the workplace, difficulties with money), phenomena arise that affect the functioning of the body. A set of such symptoms is called stress. This is a combination of physiological and psychological reactions. To prevent such conditions and successfully cope with them, you should have a clear understanding of stress, types, and causes of this phenomenon.

There are several different classifications of this concept. According to one of them, eustress and distress are distinguished. The first category represents a situation that affects a person more positively than negatively. With eustress, even anxiety and emotional overstrain are accompanied by the awareness that the obstacles that have arisen can be overcome. This phenomenon generally has a positive effect on the body, and its presence in life is necessary. Unlike the first type, the second - distress - is a violation of psychological balance. This phenomenon negatively affects the condition of the body.

Types of stress that have harmful effects

So, nervous overstrain does not always have a negative effect on a person. With eustress, people direct their forces and use internal reserves to achieve results. When the goal is achieved, they feel joy and satisfaction. However, with distress the situation is the opposite. This phenomenon occurs suddenly or develops gradually. In any case, it leads to the occurrence of diseases and mental disorders. Types of emotions and stress of this nature provoke only negative ones. So, the following types of overvoltage have a destructive effect on the human body:

If a stressful state is constantly present in a person’s life, it becomes increasingly difficult for the body to resist and cope with overstrain. This leads to decreased immunity, severe pathologies and even death.

Physiological overexertion

This is one of the types of stress that appears due to the negative influence of environmental factors. This may be hypothermia, overheating, lack of sufficient drinking water and food. In the case when people consciously condemn themselves to such tests, they must understand what consequences these phenomena can cause. Even after the negative influence of environmental factors has ceased, a person needs a period of recovery. Physiological stress includes the following types:

1. Chemical (occurs due to the influence of certain substances on processes occurring in the human body).
2. Biological (due to the presence of viral, infectious or other pathologies).
3. Physical (associated with intense sports activities among professionals).
4. Mechanical (caused by injury to any organ, part of the body or surgical intervention).

Among the types of stress that are common today are stress associated with eating disorders. However, if dietary restrictions do not last long, they do not cause much harm to the body.

Psychological and emotional stress

This phenomenon represents overexertion due to circumstances that cause anxiety and strong feelings. Sometimes it is common for a person to invent problems for himself and worry about non-existent difficulties. However, psychological stress occurs even in this case. This phenomenon is short-lived. In some situations, the mobilization of the body's resources can save a person's life. Short-term distress occurs suddenly and is associated with danger. It usually passes quickly and does not have a negative effect on the body. Chronic distress is constant emotional overstrain. It has a negative effect on the body and psyche of people, provoking feelings of fear, depression and even suicide attempts. There is also nervous distress. This is a condition that accompanies people with neuroses. Such people need the help of a specialist.

Types of stress in psychology

This phenomenon occurs as a result of experiences associated with a personal crisis or interaction with others. The following types of psychological stress are distinguished:

1. Personal (arises due to a person’s lack of harmony with himself).
2. Interpersonal (appears as a result of quarrels in the family, tense relationships within the work team).
3. Emotional (occurs due to strong feelings, accompanies long-term or chronic overexertion).
4. Professional (appears as a result of problems in work activity).
5. Informational (arises as a result of the fast pace of life, a large number of tasks that a person is forced to solve and with which it is difficult for him to cope).
6. Environmental (appears due to the negative impacts of environmental factors).

Various stressful situations inevitably arise in everyone's life. Otherwise, human existence would be meaningless. However, psychological stress is often associated not so much with the current situation, but with how a particular person reacts to it.

Stages of development of stress reactions

So, the human body responds in a certain way to the influence of factors that cause overexertion. There are several phases of stress reactions. It is customary to consider the following stages:

1. Alarm phase (involves the activation of defense mechanisms and the mobilization of the body's resources to combat overstrain).
2. The resistance stage (involves a decrease in the activity of mechanisms that help fight stress). If the body cannot resist the action of a strong irritant, it is weakened.
3. Exhaustion phase (characterized by severe fatigue, decreased activity, painful symptoms).

Almost all types of psychological stress involve passing through these stages. The intensity of the body's reactions depends on how strong the overstrain is and for how long the person experiences it.

Signs of stress

Severe emotional stress is accompanied by the appearance of a number of symptoms. Signs of stress include:

1. Increased excitability.
2. Constant worries, inability to escape from them.
3. Deterioration of cognitive functions.
4. Irritability.
5. Passivity.
6. Depressed mood.
7. Sleep disorders.
8. Decreased or increased appetite.

Such symptoms indicate that a person has mental disorders and needs the help of a specialist.

Psychological characteristics and their influence on the occurrence of stress reactions

It is known that certain individual characteristics of a person explain how he behaves under stress. As a result of many years of observations, specialists were able to establish a relationship between psychological characteristics and behavior in difficult circumstances.

People with a melancholic type of temperament feel strong fear and anxiety when stressed. They tend to blame themselves for the current situation, panic, and cannot show willpower.

Cholerics in critical situations demonstrate aggression and lash out at others. Often, due to increased excitability, they develop pathologies such as peptic ulcers, high blood pressure, and heart problems. People with choleric temperament find it difficult to come to terms with the current situation; they cannot accept it.

Phlegmatic people, as a rule, try to be balanced in difficult circumstances. They look for salvation from stress in food, and this provokes the problem of excess weight. When overexerted, phlegmatic people often demonstrate isolation, drowsiness, lethargy, and reluctance to cope with difficulties.

Sanguine people in stressful situations try to think positively and maintain self-confidence. They are able to show willpower and effectively cope with overstrain.

The reaction to different types of stress, the emotional response to it is largely laid down in childhood. If the mother and father taught the child not to panic, to adequately assess himself and his capabilities, he will be able to further resist the negative influence of difficult life circumstances.

Acute reactions to stress

Such phenomena occur when a person finds himself in critical situations that threaten his life, or witnesses them. This could be military actions, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, accidents, accidents, crimes. Such situations have a negative impact not only on those who have suffered physical and mental harm, but also on their family and friends. The types of acute reactions to stress are as follows:

1. Overexcitation, increased motor activity (manifests against the background of severe fear, panic, when a person is not able to control his actions).
2. Inhibition (decreased activity, lethargy, indifference to what is happening, lack of desire to talk or perform any actions).

Often people who have participated in or witnessed any traumatic events experience such severe emotional stress that they need medical help.

Types of stress in professional activity

Any person who works faces emotional stress. It is connected both with work activity and with communication between superiors and subordinates, within the team. Types of professional stress include the following:

1. Communicative (related to interpersonal relationships between people working in a team).
2. Professional achievement stress (arises due to the fear of doing the job incorrectly or not achieving goals).
3. Professional stress of competition (the desire to be better than colleagues, unjustified sacrifices for this).
4. Stress of success (feeling of the meaninglessness of the efforts that were aimed at achieving a result).
5. Stress of subordination (fear of responsibility, fear of superiors, increased anxiety when performing duties).
6. Overstrain associated with routine (a phenomenon typical of office workers who have to solve rather monotonous tasks, lack of novelty, positive emotions).

Experiences associated with professional activities often lead to mental disorders and the development of depressive disorders. Sometimes relaxation, doing what you love, sports or traveling help cope with the problem. But if stress has become chronic, the help of a psychologist is needed.

How to prevent emotional stress?

Having an idea of ​​what types of stress there are and its signs, many people ask questions about methods to combat this phenomenon. Coping with overstrain is not easy, since people are not always able to prevent or avoid situations that provoke it. However, if you adhere to general recommendations (get enough sleep, exercise, spend free time with loved ones, think positively), you can significantly reduce overexertion. But not everyone is able to cope with stress effectively. If the situation is too difficult, you can seek medical help. As a rule, sedatives help reduce unpleasant experiences. However, medications should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor. If there is chronic stress in a person’s life, he must develop tactics to deal with it, since this phenomenon is dangerous because it provokes health problems.

Introduction

Factors causing stress

2Reflection of stressors in activities

2.1 Physiological research method

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Stress - this term is used to refer to a wide range of conditions that arise in response to a variety of extreme influences.

This concept was first introduced by psychologist G. Selye to denote a nonspecific reaction of the body in response to any adverse impact.

Later it began to be used in psychology to describe the states of an individual under extreme conditions at the physiological, psychological and behavioral levels.

Depending on the type of influences and the nature of their influences, stress in psychology is classified into several types: physiological stress and psychological stress. Moreover, the latter is divided into: informational stress and emotional stress.

Information stress occurs in situations of information overload, when the subject cannot cope with any task, does not have time to make decisions at the required pace - with high responsibility for the decisions made and their consequences.

Emotional stress manifests itself in situations of threat, danger, resentment... At the same time, changes occur in emotional states (hysterics often occur), in speech and motor behavior ("loses the power of speech", "stands rooted to the spot").

However, stress can also have a positive, mobilizing effect on activity - distress.

In this case, a person is able to solve many security-related problems in an instant and find non-standard approaches. At such moments, you feel a surge of strength and energy coming from nowhere. And although a long stay in this state is extremely undesirable and dangerous for the body, for many it is a great opportunity to stay in good shape.

Factors causing stress

1The concept and essence of stress, types of stressors

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, stress (from the English stress - “pressure, tension”) is a state of an individual that arises as a response to various extreme types of influence from the external and internal environment that unbalance a person’s physical or psychological functions.

The author of the doctrine of stress, G. Selye, wrote: “Stress is life, and life is stress. Without stress, life is practically impossible.” At the same time, an indispensable condition for a free and independent life, according to Claude Bernard, is the constancy of the internal environment, and according to V. Cannon, the body’s ability to maintain this constancy (homeostasis, homeostasis, homeokinesis, that is, dynamic constancy). Taking into account this view of life, stress is a state of temporarily disturbed homeostasis, and stressors are various factors that can cause disruption of the body’s homeostasis. Stressors are any new, sufficiently informative, especially personally significant, and stimuli of varying intensity, duration and nature (quality) that can cause disturbances in the body’s homeostasis of varying severity.

So, let’s define that stress is a nonspecific (general) reaction of the body to an impact (physical or psychological) that disrupts its homeostasis, as well as the corresponding state of the body’s nervous system (or the body as a whole).

Factors that cause a stress response are called stressors. They can be physical (high and low temperature, poison, excessive physical activity, etc.) and psychological (conflict situation in the family, death of a loved one, resentment, information overload, etc.).

Stressor (from the English stress - pressure, pressure, pressure, oppression, load, tension; synonyms: stress factor, stress situation) - a factor that causes a state of stress. A nonspecific irritant or an impact that causes stress.

Stressors can be external (exogenous) and internal (endogenous, i.e. formed in the body itself). By nature, stressful stimuli can be very different: physical, chemical, biological, informational, psychogenic and emotional.

An important place among physical, chemical and biological stressors (group 1) is occupied by mechanical, chemical and infectious influences, lack or excess of food, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, cations, anions, salts, PAS and other substances that cause damage to cell-tissue structures and disturbances of homeostasis at various levels of organization of the body. Their main characteristic is the absoluteness (intensity) of the impact. Thus, the stressogenicity of these factors is determined by the quantitative characteristics and degree of disruption of the body’s homeostasis.

Social (informational, psychogenic and emotional) stressors (group 2) are characterized by both absoluteness (quantity) and relativity (quality) of influences in the form of unfavorable effects for the body, especially conflict ones (at work, at home, in the family, etc.) situations. Moreover, modern life not only increases this group of stressors on a person, but also often does not provide opportunities to avoid the effects of these stressors on the body, forcing it to adapt to them.

Conventionally, stressors can be divided into:

)controlled (depend on us);

)uncontrollable (out of our control);

)those that are not inherently stressors, but cause a stress response as a result of our interpretation of the factor as a stressor.

The key to coping well with stress is the ability to distinguish between stressors that we can control and stressors that we cannot control. The most common manageable stressors are interpersonal in nature. People's behavior is often determined by factors of health and illness. Stereotypes of behavior, unconscious actions, inability to manage one’s emotions, lack of knowledge of the norms of interpersonal relationships, and inability to manage conflict can become a source of stress.

A person under stress is capable of incredible (compared to a calm state) actions: at the moment of stress, a large amount of adrenaline is released into the blood, all the body’s reserves are mobilized and a person’s capabilities increase sharply, but only for a certain time.

The duration of this period and the consequences for the body are different for each person. In general, it is believed that small and short-term stress can even be useful for performing work and is harmless to a person, while long-term and significant stress can lead to various undesirable consequences. According to research by physiologists, if stress lasts a month or a year and has already become the cause of any disease, it is almost impossible to return the physiological functions of the body to normal.

The most common forms of stressors:

)physiological (excessive pain, loud noise, exposure to extreme temperatures, taking certain medications, such as caffeine or amphetamines);

)psychological (information overload, competition, threat to social status, self-esteem, immediate environment, etc.).

Types of stressors:

)fear;

)hunger;

)thirst;

)pain;

)fatigue;

)insulation.

Factors that cause stress are the impact on a person from the external and internal environment, which leads him to a state of stress. The main factors influencing the occurrence of human stress in an organization: organizational, intra-organizational, personal.

Organizational factors are determined by the position of the individual in the organization, in particular, the lack of work corresponding to his qualifications; poor relations with employees; lack of growth prospects, competition in the workplace, etc.

Let's look at examples of organizational factors:

)insufficient workload of the employee, for which the employee does not have the opportunity to fully demonstrate his qualifications;

A situation that is quite common in domestic organizations that have switched to a reduced work schedule or are forced to reduce the amount of work due to non-payment by customers;

)the employee does not have a good understanding of his role and place in the production process, the team; this situation is usually caused by the lack of clearly established rights and responsibilities of a specialist, task ambiguity, and lack of growth prospects;

)the need to simultaneously perform various tasks that are not related to each other, but urgent, this reason is often found among middle managers in an organization in the absence of delineation of functions between departments and levels of management;

)non-participation of employees in the management of the organization, making decisions on the further development of the organization’s activities during a period of sharp changes in the directions of its activity; this situation is typical for a significant number of large domestic enterprises, where the personnel management system has not been established and ordinary employees are disconnected from the decision-making process.

Many Western companies have entire programs for attracting personnel to the affairs of the company and developing strategic decisions, especially when it is necessary to increase production volume or improve the quality of manufactured products.

Changing the tasks of a hired worker after moving to work in private structures, this worker realizes his main task is to increase the profit of the owner of this company.

Intraorganizational factors cause stress as a result of the following circumstances:

)lack of work or a long search for it;

)competition in the labor market;

)the crisis state of the economy of the country and the region in particular;

)family difficulties.

Personal factors that cause stress begin to act under the influence of unfulfilled individual needs, emotional instability, low or high self-esteem, etc.

There are quite a large number of types of stress.

Chronic stress presupposes the presence of constant (or one that exists for a long time) significant physical and moral stress on a person (long-term job search, constant success, clarification of relationships), as a result of which his neuropsychological or physiological state is extremely tense.

Acute stress is a person’s state after an event or phenomenon, as a result of which he lost his psychological balance (conflict with his boss, quarrels with loved ones).

Physiological stress arises from physical overload of the body and exposure to harmful environmental factors (high or low temperature in the work area, strong odors, insufficient lighting, increased noise levels).

Psychological stress is a consequence of a violation of the psychological stability of the individual for a number of reasons: offended pride, work without appropriate qualifications.

In addition, such stress can be the result of a person’s psychological overload: performing too much work and responsibility for the quality of complex and lengthy work. A variant of psychological stress is emotional stress that occurs in situations of threat, danger, or resentment.

Information stress occurs in situations of information overload or from an information vacuum.

In addition, today there is a so-called “managerial type of stress”; it is caused by many factors related to the activities of managers and their relationships with people in complex market conditions.

When the environment and market conditions change dynamically, competition intensifies, and therefore it is necessary to make prompt, adequate management decisions to ensure the sustainable development of the enterprise and its competitiveness.

For a legal assessment of a person’s behavior under stress, it should be borne in mind that in a state of stress, a person’s consciousness may not narrow - a person may be able to mobilize his physical and mental capabilities to the maximum to overcome extreme impacts in reasonable ways.

Human behavior under stress is not completely relegated to an unconscious level. His actions to eliminate the stressor, the choice of tools and methods of action, speech means preserve social conditioning. A narrowing of consciousness during affect and stress does not mean its complete disorder.

2 Reflection of stressors in activities

psychological stress

It is very important to learn how to cope with your stress yourself, and the key point is to determine as accurately as possible what kind of stressor you encountered, and only after that take certain measures.

It is important to remember here that the stressor itself is only a reason for the onset of stress, and we ourselves make it the cause of the neuropsychic experience. For example, a “C” for a student who has never opened his textbook in the entire semester is happiness; for a student who is used to working as hard as he can, a satisfactory grade is the norm, but for an excellent student, an accidental C grade can be a real tragedy. In other words, there is only one stressor, and the reaction to it varies from despair to delight, so it is very important to learn to control your attitude towards troubles and select adequate methods to deal with them.

Stressors that are beyond our control are prices, taxes, government, weather, habits and personalities of other people, and much more. You may be nervous and swear about a power outage or an incompetent driver creating a traffic jam at an intersection, but other than increasing your blood pressure and adrenaline concentrations in your blood, you will not achieve anything.

Participation in conflict situations is often accompanied by increased stress in a person. Conflict is a complex relationship between opponents, marked by strong emotional experiences. Participation in a conflict involves the expenditure of emotions, nerves, and strength, and this can lead to one-time or chronic stress. At the same time, inadequate perception of the situation, which occurs through the stressful state of one of its participants, quite often leads to conflicts.

For example: the head of a department stood in a traffic jam for a long time on the way to work, being late for an important meeting in the organization. As a result, the employees of the unit - his subordinates - were reprimanded for sins that did not occur. (There was a transfer of negative emotions from an external situation, beyond the control of a person, to an internal one).

Stress, just like conflict, is closely related to human needs and the inability to realize them, and this leads to a manifold increase in the action of psychological defense mechanisms and physiological capabilities.

In general, stress is a fairly common and common phenomenon. Minor stress is inevitable and harmless, but excessive stress creates problems for both the individual and the organization in completing assigned tasks. Psychologists believe that a person suffers more and more often from insults inflicted on him, a sense of his own insecurity, and uncertainty about the future.

Example. The subordinate does not agree with the opinion of the boss, he insists and forces him to do as he sees fit. Although the issue is extremely important for the subordinate, he is not able to convince the boss, and it is not yet possible to leave for another job, then the employee gives in and submits.

As a result, the subordinate is in a state of intrapersonal conflict, which results in his stressful state. If the subordinate is confident that he is right and insists on it, then a conflict will certainly arise with the boss, which may result in the dismissal of this employee from the organization.

Conflict situations are often accompanied by strong feelings that turn into stress. Skillful stress management allows you to prevent conflicts, and if they arise, to resolve them competently.

Small and short-term stress can only slightly affect a person, but long-term and (or) significant stress unbalances his physiological and psychological functions, negatively affects health, performance, work efficiency and relationships in the team (in this case it is called distress).

Stressors that we can directly influence are our own unconstructive actions, the inability to set life goals and determine priorities, the inability to manage our time, as well as various difficulties in interpersonal interactions. As a rule, these stressors are in the present time or in the near future, and we, in principle, have a chance to influence the situation). If we encounter just such a stressor, then it is very important to determine what resource we lack, and then take care of finding it.

Stressors that cause stress only because of our interpretation are those events and phenomena that we ourselves turn into problems. Most often, such an event is either in the past or in the future, and its occurrence is unlikely. This can include all types of anxiety about the future (from the obsessive thought “Did I turn off the iron?” to the fear of death), as well as worries about past events that we cannot change. Often this type of stress also occurs in the event of an incorrect interpretation of current events, but in any case, the assessment of the situation is more influenced by the individual’s attitudes than by real facts.

In everyday life, we call various events that affect us negatively as stress. But do we know how much stress there is in the life of a modern person?

So, what are the types of stress?

)information stress. In our modern society, the amount of information bombarding us has long gone beyond all reasonable limits. Television, the Internet - these means have made such volumes of information available that it causes overload;

)information aggression. The same media, as a rule, speculate in pursuit of ratings, pouring on us huge amounts of information that awakens negative emotions (fear, anxiety, etc.). This is understandable - it’s easier for them to chain us to the screens. And we buy it;

)stress of brain processing of information. There is a lot of information, the brain is actively working, trying to “sort it out.” In this case, mainly the left hemisphere is involved. At the same time, the right one is idle, and the interhemispheric balance is disturbed. There is a deficiency of natural trance.

Because of this deficiency, the so-called Frankl trinity (famous Austrian psychotherapist) arises:

)depression;

)aggression;

)addiction;

Motor stress. It is believed that a person should normally walk 10 thousand steps every day. Let's think about how far we go?? The answer is clear. But when walking, the active points of the foot are stimulated, blood flow throughout the body increases, and the working muscles keep the brain in good shape!

Stress of speed and distance. We are designed in such a way that it is unnatural for us to move at a speed greater than we can develop ourselves. And the only physiological distances for us are those that we could cover on foot. This also includes the reaction to changing time zones, which is called desynchronosis. All physiological rhythms are disrupted!

Stress of a city dweller. This is what is meant here. The entire environment of a big city is, in general, unnatural for humans. Artificial lighting forcibly extends the length of the day - previously people went to bed at sunset. Staying at a height of more than the third floor is also stressful - after all, in the wild, no person lived at such heights. People mostly looked into the distance, watching birds fly and herds graze, but now there is constant visual stress. There is constant noise in the city, which was not the case in the natural human environment.

Emotional stress. We have to admit that in modern society it is a gift that people live in crowded conditions. But warm, spiritual contact is missing. Communication between people is often superficial and formal.

The stress of constant change. Everything is changing rapidly in today's world. What previously seemed stable and unshakable can collapse in an instant! There is no confidence in the future, especially with the growing financial and economic crises. This condition is one of the biggest stressors for a person.

Work stress is an important issue in the modern workplace. About a third of workers are susceptible to it. A quarter of workers say their job is a stressor in their lives. Three-quarters of workers believe that work was not as stressful in the past (that is, a generation ago). Many also recognize that stress is a leading cause of employee turnover.

Work stress is caused by working conditions. It is debatable whether the working conditions or the personal characteristics of the worker have a greater influence. Different answers to this question give rise to different ways of solving the problem. If we consider personal characteristics to be more important, then adaptability and communication skills come to the fore. It is assumed that these skills will help the employee adapt even to not very good working conditions. This perspective emphasizes the importance of strategies to help workers adjust to changes in working conditions.

I could go on and on about all the possible sources of stress—I have named the main ones. It is important to understand that all these influences do not pass without a trace for people. Stress tends to accumulate.

Stress is a response to changes in our lives. Our body reacts physically, emotionally and mentally to any change in the existing state of affairs. Moreover, changes do not have to be negative; positive changes can also be quite stressful. Sometimes the thought of upcoming changes can be stressful.

It is important to learn to remain calm and self-possessed. The first person who needs anti-stress help is you!

2.Methodological aspects of studying stress

1 Physiological research method

Stress is one of the adaptation mechanisms in the human body in response to stressors of any nature, including psychological ones. The criteria for stress are objective indicators of the nervous, endocrine and visceral systems (cardiovascular, skin, etc.)

According to V.D. Nebylitsina, the stability of the optimal operating parameters of the subject depends on factors of a personal nature:

) the state of internal organs and, above all, the cardiovascular system, visual and hearing acuity, autonomic reaction;

) dynamics of the properties of the nervous system: strength and balance;

) actual psychological factors - characterological characteristics of the individual.

Physiological research methods make it possible to consider stress as a fluctuation in homeostatic processes with mandatory consideration of the social conditionality of biological adaptation. Measurements should be taken at the same time, after sleep before work load, because... it is necessary to register trace processes in changes in functions.

The health quotient (HC), or functional change index (FII), is intended to assess the level of functioning of the circulatory system and determine the adaptive potential of the latter. It was proposed by A.P. Berseneva and R.M. Baevsky, the authors propose to consider changes in heart rate in connection with the adaptive reaction of the whole organism as a manifestation of various stages of the general adaptation syndrome.

IFI (KZ) is determined in conventional units - points. To calculate the IFI (KZ), data on pulse rate (HR), blood pressure (BPs - systolic, ABP - diastolic), height (P), body weight (BW) and age (B) are required.

Calculated using formula 1.

Formula 1

Based on the obtained value of the Baevsky index, each subject can be assigned to one of four groups according to the degree of adaptation: satisfactory adaptation (FII less than 2.59), strain of adaptation mechanisms (FII from 2.6 to 3.09), unsatisfactory adaptation (FII 3 .1 to 3.49) and failure of adaptation (FII more than 3.5). The higher the IFI value, the higher the likelihood of tension in adaptation mechanisms.

Let's calculate personal data using the formula: emergency rate - 76 beats/min., blood pressure - 110 mm. Hg, ABP - 80 mmHg, P - 172 m, BW - 85 kg, B - 24 years.

IFI =0.011*76+0.014*110+0.008*80+0.014*24+0.009*85-0.009*172-0.27

IFI = 2.229, therefore satisfactory adaptation of the body.

2 Stressful Life Events Scale

The Stressful Life Events Scale was proposed by T. Holmes and R. Reich in 1967. Despite the empirical nature of the methodology, its undoubted advantages are: 1) taking into account the total level of psychosocial stress, i.e., the global mass of events and the degree of their severity, and not individual events, as was the case before; 2) taking into account everyday, frequently occurring factors, rather than disasters and other extraordinary events; 3) the study of a person in everyday life, and not in the laboratory 4) the idea of ​​​​a change in the social situation of a given person, and not the social situation as such 5) the study of the impact of events closely spaced in time, and not childhood psychogenics.

Using the scale below (Figure 1), try to remember all the events that happened during the last year and calculate the total number of points you “earned.” You may be thinking of other events that are not included in this scale (eg, flood, home renovation, robbery). How many points would you assign to these events and add them to the points received on the scale.

In accordance with the studies, it was found that 150 points means a 50% chance of a somatic disease occurring due to stress, with 300 points it increases to 90%.

Figure 1 - Stressful life events scale

Let's make a scale of stressful life events using a personal example.

Let us present the result in Table 1.

Table 1 - Scale of stressful life events by Zaikova O.P.

Life eventsValue of the event in pointsDeath of a close family member100Appointment of a new family member56Change in financial situation42Change in position18Start of studies at an educational institution23Change of place of residence9Loan to buy things13Vacation11New Year12

The total result is 289 points. We conclude that the likelihood of a somatic illness as a result of stress is very high.

Conclusion

In everyday life, a person constantly finds himself in different situations. Among their many, those that we designate as stressful situations stand out.

All living organisms capable of interacting with the environment are equally susceptible to stress. Stress is a tense state of the body, i.e. a nonspecific response of the body to a demand presented to it (stressful situation). The stress response is aimed at adapting the body to changing conditions of the internal and external environment. The adaptive resources of the body differ from person to person and, accordingly, the ability to restore them also differs individually. The influence of the same stressor on different people differs in the degree of severity of stress in terms of the strength of its influence on the adaptive capabilities of the individual. Under the influence of stress, the human body experiences stressful tension, and stress is not just nervous tension, but also nervous overload and strong emotional arousal.

The consequences of stress include emotional reactions, for example, inappropriate, overreaction to minor problems, excessive irritability and intolerance, as well as overeating or lack of appetite, increased use of alcohol, tobacco or medications, a feeling of constant anxiety, and an inability to relax. Stress has many faces in its manifestations. It plays an important role in the occurrence of not only disorders of human mental activity or a number of diseases of internal organs. It is known that stress can provoke almost any disease. In this regard, there is currently an increasing need to learn more about stress and ways to prevent and cope with it.

Bibliography

1.Personal page of practical psychologist Koval E.P. - Electronic data. - Access mode: #"justify">. Grechikhin A.A. Sociology and psychology of reading: textbook for universities / A.A. Grechikhin - M: MGUP, 2007 - 383 p.

.Free encyclopedia Wikipedia - Electronic data. - Access mode: #"justify">. Panchenko L.L. Diagnosis of stress: textbook/L.L. Panchenko - Vladivostok: Mor. state univ., 2005 - 35 p.

.Csikszentmihalyi M. Sociology and psychology of management / M. Csikszentmihalyi, Elena Perova. - M: Alpina non-fiction, 2011 - 555 p.

.Page of practicing psychotherapist Eremeev - Electron. Dan. - Access mode: #"justify">. BrainTools.ru - Electron. Dan. - Access mode:://www.braintools.ru/article/9548

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There is no other psychological term that has become so firmly established in our lives as stress.

Stress They call it a problem of the 20th century, which smoothly turned into the 21st. Concerned about the health of their subordinates, the owners of American companies rushed to combat stress. Cigna Corporation offers breaks during the workday during which employees listen to music, dance and do exercises. And overstressed Lipschultz, Levin and Gray employees can play darts, mini golf or hula hoop right in the office.

According to some Western experts, up to 70% of diseases are associated with emotional stress. In Europe, more than a million people die every year due to stress-related disorders of the cardiovascular system.
According to VTsIOM, two-thirds of Muscovites are constantly in a state of stress, and a third of the country’s population is in a state of severe stress, which not only reduces a person’s performance, but also leads to serious illnesses.

Every person has experienced it, everyone has heard about it, but almost no one takes the trouble to find out what stress is. Many words become fashionable when scientific research leads to the emergence of a new concept that affects everyday behavior or the way we think about fundamental issues in life. These days there is a lot of talk about stress associated with administrative or business activities, environmental pollution, retirement, physical stress, family problems or the death of a relative. But have you ever thought about what stress is?

The word "stress", like "success", "failure" and "happiness", has different meanings for different people because we are all different, and each of us has our own life experiences and values. Therefore, it is very difficult to define stress, although it has become part of our everyday speech. Isn't "stress" just a synonym for "distress"*? Is it effort, fatigue, pain, fear, the need to concentrate, the humiliation of public reproach, loss of blood, or even an unexpected huge success that leads to the disruption of the entire way of life? The answer to this question is both yes and no. This is why it is so difficult to define stress. Any of these conditions can cause stress, but none of them can be isolated and said: this is stress, because this term equally applies to all others.

The first definition of stress was given by the Canadian physiologist Hans Selye, according to which stress is anything that leads to rapid aging of the body or causes illness.
R. M. Granovskaya defines stress as a set of stereotypical, phylogenetic programmed nonspecific reactions of the body that prepare it for physical activity, that is, resistance, fight or flight. Weak influences do not lead to stress; it occurs only when the influence of stress exceeds the normal adaptive capabilities of a person.

/* Distress(English) – grief, misfortune, malaise, exhaustion, need; Stress(English) – pressure, pressure, tension/

The encyclopedic dictionary gives the following interpretation: “A set of protective physiological reactions that occur in the body of animals and humans in response to the influence of various unfavorable factors.”

In modern psychological science and practice, the distinction between the concepts of “physiological stress” and “psychological stress”, introduced by the famous stress researcher Richard Lazarus, has been established.

1. Physiological stress(based on the concept of “general adaptation syndrome” by G. Selye) - a condition expressed in animals and humans at the physiological level under the influence of stress factors such as excessive physical activity, high or low temperature, painful stimuli, difficulty breathing, etc. .

According to G. Selye, “adaptation syndrome” includes 3 stages:

anxiety,
resistance,
adaptation or exhaustion.

2. Psychological stress– a state of extremely high psychological stress, which can have a strong and negative impact on the state, behavior, and activity of a person under the influence of various stress factors (information overload, situations of resentment, threats, uncertainty, etc.).

There are quite a large number of concepts and models of stress among both domestic and foreign researchers:

– cognitive theory of psychological stress by R. Lazarus, which is based on the position of considering stress from subjective points of view through the prism of cognitive processes;

– concepts of professional stress (A. N. Zankovsky, T. Sokh, W. Schorpflug, etc.),

– socio-psychological theories of stress (concepts: D. Mechanik, R. Darendor, B. P. Darenwend, etc.) and many others.

The above examples of concepts reflect the current tendency in psychological science and practice to differentiate the concept of “psychological stress” into various types of classifications depending on the field of psychological knowledge. One of the options for such a classification is considered:

– Interpersonal psychological stress– characterized by a subjective assessment of interpersonal interaction, the presence of conflicts or their threat;

– Professional or organizational stress– associated with the complexity, danger, responsibility of performing work tasks, disruption in the organization and working conditions;

– social or public psychological stress– associated with social, socio-economic problems, unemployment, bad habits (alcohol, drugs), national or regional conflicts and wars;

– family psychological stress– includes all the difficulties in maintaining a family - marital problems, interaction with children, relatives, etc.;

– Intrapersonal psychological stress– reflects “I-conflict”, unrealized aspirations, needs, aimless existence;

– environmental psychological stress- occurs due to adverse environmental influences - harsh climatic conditions, overcrowding, etc.

All definitions for this classification (the same applies to other classifications) reflect the dependence of the name of the type of stress on the dominant factors that determine it. However, any type of psychological stress includes:

general factors (characteristic of all types of stress),

· specific factors (characteristic only for this type of stress),

· external or objective factors, which are the objectively recorded conditions for the occurrence of stress (limited time, large volume of workload, and so on),

· subjective, personal factors, which are largely determined by the individual characteristics of a person (inadequate self-esteem, motivational characteristics, temperament, high levels of personal tension, anxiety, aggressiveness and others).

Stress is associated with positive and negative experiences. Physiological stress levels are lowest during moments of indifference, but are never zero (which would mean death). Pleasant and unpleasant emotional arousal is accompanied by an increase in physiological stress (but not necessarily distress).

Destructive stress, or distress, destroys behavior and is the source of numerous unpleasant experiences and illnesses. Fighting its external manifestations is not only futile, but also harmful. Distress should be prevented, or if the person is already distressed, it should be treated.

Main symptoms of distress: 1. absent-mindedness
2. increased excitability
3. constant fatigue
4. loss of sense of humor
5. a sharp increase in the number of cigarettes smoked with a simultaneous addiction to alcoholic beverages
6. loss of sleep and appetite
7. memory impairment
8. sometimes so-called “psychosomatic” pain in the head, back, stomach is possible
9. complete absence of sources of joy.

If you notice at least one of the listed signs or any combination of them, then it’s time to intervene in your own life - think calmly, discuss the situation (preferably with a loved one), try to find out and eliminate the reasons that caused your psychophysical overstrain.

Stressor(synonymous with stress factor, stress situation) - an extreme or pathological stimulus or an adverse effect of significant strength and duration that causes stress. A stimulus becomes a stressor either due to the meaning a person assigns to it (cognitive interpretation), or through lower brain sensory mechanisms, through the mechanisms of digestion and metabolism.

There are different classifications of stressors. In the most general form there are: 1. Physiological stressors(excessive pain and noise, exposure to extreme temperatures, taking certain medications, such as caffeine, etc.);

2. Psychological stressors(information overload, competition, threat to social status, self-esteem, immediate environment, etc.);

3. Social stressors(changes in government, natural disasters, dollar exchange rate, traffic jams, habits of other people, etc.).

From the point of view of the stress response, it does not matter whether the situation we are faced with is pleasant or unpleasant. All that matters is the intensity of the need for restructuring or adaptation.

Example:The mother, who was informed of the death of her only son, experiences terrible mental shock. If, many years later, the message turns out to be false and her son suddenly walks into the room unharmed, she will feel intense joy.

The specific results of two events - grief and joy - are completely different, even opposite, but their stressor effect - a nonspecific requirement for adaptation to a new situation - may be the same.

Another possible classification is the division of stressors into three groups according to the degree of our influence on them.

1. Stressors that are beyond our control: this is your gender and age, weather, country of residence, laws, tax system, established price levels in the market, purchasing power of the population, etc.

2. Stressors that cause stress only because of our interpretation. Examples include anxious thoughts about unlikely future events (“What if the delivery of goods fails?”) as well as worries about past events that we cannot change.

3. Stressors we can directly influence: interaction with business partners and competitors, own unconstructive actions, lack of time, lack of skill in setting goals in life and business. This can also include health indicators, excess weight, blood pressure levels in the initial stages of hypertension and other factors.

Stressors can be both real and imaginary. A person reacts not only to actual physical danger, but also to a threat or reminder of it. It should also be noted that a person tolerates failures, losses, and grief more easily when the reasons seem to him to be purely external, independent of his own actions, and it is more difficult for him to experience his wrong behavior, as a result of which a traumatic situation arose.

A stressor is a lever that triggers the stress mechanism. Moreover, this is not necessarily a factor that affects everyone equally. The main thing is the impact that gets you.

Example:You can't stand it when someone leaves trash on the dinner table. Everyone else reacts to this completely normally, but you insist on cleanliness and order. Well, you have every right.

Targets are our internal beliefs, ideas, views and stereotypes - that “pedal”, by pressing which the stressor achieves a stress reaction. Ian McDermott and Joseph O'Connor provide a gradation of stress targets depending on the logical level at which they arose:

1. Environment

Those factors that cause you stress in your environment. A long commute to work, a cramped and noisy office, non-working household appliances, a quarrel with a loved one. Your job can be stressful if you have a lot of demands on you and you don't have the ability to handle them.

2. Behavior

Your actions can lead to stress. Maybe leaving for a meeting at the last minute and the constant stress that comes with it, or having to meet people's demands at a time when you don't want to. Changes in routine can be stressful.

3. Abilities

If you have the ability to turn on anxiety in yourself, then you have developed a certain skill. You can almost certainly easily imagine how something leads to an unsatisfactory outcome. You probably do this by creating mental movies of how things might go wrong, and then imagining the terrifying consequences. And this is also a certain skill. It demonstrates your ability to imagine pictures so vividly that you can create significant chemical changes in your body. There are probably other uses for this talent. What happens if you use that same power of vivid imagination to imagine what will happen 15 minutes after the event has been satisfactorily resolved, and then think about how you could achieve that?

4. Beliefs and values

You may not have considered that beliefs and values ​​can cause stress or act as resources against it, but this is an area where changes can have a significant effect. We carry our beliefs with us, so they will cause stress wherever we go. The more rigid our beliefs and expectations, the greater the stress we experience, because the world around us will not bend its path just to meet our needs.

The belief that people are untrustworthy and are ready to deceive you at the first opportunity will keep you on edge and cause stress. Beliefs that make you dependent on other people or events, or that you have no choice in how you respond to events, will contribute to stress.

5. Identity

The only stress at this level can be a false image. It can manifest itself in two ways. First - concerns relationships between people when a person does not allow anyone to see the real him, and most likely works in cases where a person cannot express himself fully in his work. Second The way a false image manifests itself is as a mask, put on for one's own or someone else's benefit, to protect one's real identity. Such a mask can arise in childhood, when a person did not know how to cope with something and used a false image as a means. When this happens, the person once again experiences the feeling of emptiness, and his behavior loses an additional degree of freedom to maintain balance.

Try to monitor the changes that happen to you when you find yourself in a stressful situation. You brace yourself as if waiting for a blow, the muscles of your face, chest and abdomen tense. Breathing increases because cells require more oxygen. Due to the narrowing of small blood vessels, blood pressure increases. The frequency and force of heart contractions increases, causing blood to flow much faster. These changes are caused by the physiology of stress, but other manifestations are strictly individual. And they depend on the state of the nervous system: strong or weak; from the predominance of inhibition or excitation processes in the cerebral cortex; on a person’s ability to control himself and his emotions; from upbringing; and even from family and national traditions.

Shifts that occur during stress are a manifestation of an ancient defensive reaction formed during evolution. This reaction was instantly activated in our ancestors at the slightest threat, ensuring with maximum speed the mobilization of the body's forces necessary to fight the enemy or escape from him. This mobilization was very convenient for cavemen or other harsh times when stress meant that a person had to be ready for physical action. Currently, this leads to additional problems. Today, when you need emotional resources rather than physical ones when you are stressed, the body continues to react as if you needed physical activity. As a result, a temporary increase in blood pressure, justified by a situation of real danger, turns into a painful state due to lingering indignation about what is a thing of the past and what no longer exists, or about what does not yet exist and, perhaps, will not exist at all.

The question is when and how circumstances become truly stressful. Two people who find themselves in the same situation will react to it differently, depending on their character, experience, emotional state and other factors. One will not see any threat to himself in the situation and will remain calm, while the other will have a feeling of unaccountable anxiety or obvious fear. Stress occurs when circumstances are subjectively perceived as threatening. It does not matter whether the threat is real or imaginary - the important thing is that the threat psychologically exists for a person who begins to look for ways out of the situation. Forms of overcoming difficult situations, or coping strategies (from the English verb to cope - “to cope”, “to cope”), can be very different, such as violent affect (anger, aggression, tears, laughter), rethinking the situation (new interpretation significance of events, an attempt to see them “in a different light,” rationalization) and actions directly aimed at resolving the problem.

Depending on how effective the chosen coping strategy is, the problematic situation is successfully overcome or, on the contrary, aggravated even further. In the first case, the experience of stress ends, having replenished the “piggy bank” of useful experience; in the second, it increases and turns into a destructive, potentially hazardous form.

American psychologist T. Cox identified two personality types (he called them “type A” and “type B”) based on their reaction to stress.

Type A:
– A persistent desire to achieve intended, but usually vaguely defined goals.
– Strong desire and willingness to compete.
– The desire to be recognized and to advance in something further.
– Performing many different functions under limited time.
– Tendency to increase the pace of work.
– The ability to quickly make decisions and take action.

Type B: – Clearly setting goals, calmly thinking about methods to achieve them.

– Lack of desire to compete.
– Recognition doesn’t really matter.
– Performing certain functions for an unlimited period of time.
– Calm, measured pace of work.
– Decisions are made after preliminary deliberation.

Type "A" personalities are constantly spinning "like a squirrel in a wheel." Their life is full of events and problems. They often become “workaholics”; as a rule, they love their work very much and devote themselves to it without reserve, turning any situation into a race (for example, they like to constantly move from one lane of the road to another in order to gain a few minutes of time); remain in a “wound up” state around the clock; do several things at the same time. They cannot stop and relax in time, as a result of which nervous exhaustion and the risk of cardiovascular diseases are extremely high for them.
In contrast, people of type "B" live measuredly, without haste. They manage to combine work, entertainment with family responsibilities. They plan their day clearly, without trying to “embrace the immensity.” On weekends they prefer not to think about work, they try to relax and do something pleasant. They tend to have good health, high self-esteem, experience successfully coping with stress, and a positive approach to life. Negative emotions are partially or fully compensated.

Overcoming and correcting stress can be carried out by a variety of means: these can be attempts to minimize stressful working conditions and everyday life, and the treatment of existing diseases caused by prolonged experience of stress, and the actual psychological “stress management”, which allows increasing resistance to stress. In each specific case, the recipe for dealing with stress can be very individual, but must be based on a comprehensive analysis of both the psychological situation itself and the psychophysiological state.

We should not forget about the potential benefits of stress, which, under certain conditions, leads to an increase in a person’s psychological and biological endurance. The positive impact of moderate stress is manifested in a number of psychological properties– notes R. M. Granovskaya – Improving attention, increasing a person’s interest in achieving a goal, and a positive emotional coloring of the work process.

Danish scientists, for example, have found that daily stress reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers believe this is due to hormonal imbalances, specifically decreased estrogen levels that occur with chronic stress.

Remember, stress is associated with almost any activity; only those who do nothing can avoid it. But who enjoys an inactive life?

Stress, unless, of course, it is associated with a physical threat, is a reaction not to a fact, but to the meaning assigned to it. Change the meaning and you change your reaction to what is happening. As Hans Selye said about stress, “stress is not what happened to you, but how you perceive it.”

In addition to the individual and group characteristics of the participants in the interaction, the characteristics of their motivation, needs and goals, the sources of conflicts are often the experiences of the participants in the interaction, stress, aggression, anger and emotional tension. The problem of stress is significant for the entire educational group and is directly related to the atmosphere, mood, performance, productivity and quality of work of the teacher himself. The atmosphere in the classroom can become unfavorable if in the organization where the teacher works there is ineffective interaction, overload, destructive conflicts, accompanied by mental tension (stress) that arises in the teacher under the influence of strong influences. All working people and students experience a certain amount of stress.

Hans Selye (Sally), a Canadian physiopsychologist, defines stress How fight and flight response . The word "stress", as well as "success", "failure" and "happiness" (from the English. stress - pressure, pressure, tension), has different meanings for different people, so it is very difficult to define it, although it has become part of our everyday speech. From a scientific point of view, stress is the body’s physiological reaction to stimuli (hard work, fatigue, uncertainty, fear, emotional arousal), i.e. events that place excessive psychological and (or) physical demands on a person, mobilize his resources to perform more difficult tasks and increase his adaptive abilities. These stimuli (they are called stressors, or stress factors) cause a person to have a mixed feeling of frustration (from lat. . frustration – deception, futile waiting), failure to achieve a goal, such as completing a task on time due to inadequate resources, and anxiety (fear of punishment). Our body, preparing for confrontation coming from outside, mobilizes all its internal energy. During calmer times, for example during vacations and vacations, stress levels decrease and, accordingly, the body's readiness for aggressive reactions due to stress decreases.

Types of stress in conflict situations

Experts, based on the nature of stress, distinguish the following types of stress in conflict or tense situations:

• 1) psychological;
• 2) physiological;
• 3) emotional and psychological;
• 4) information-psychological.

Psychological stress associated with the individual characteristics of a person, his reaction to a particular situation. The work of the protective mechanisms of the psyche, the emotional-volitional stability of the individual, the ability to relieve stress are characteristics that influence the degree of a person’s resistance to psychological stress. The latter includes the phenomena of group or mass psyche (fear, panic, frustration, anger, aggression) and all the problems that arise with their manifestation. Psychological stress manifests itself in anxiety, depression, increased irritability, anxiety, and increased fears.

Physiological stress occurs as a complication or consequence of psychological stress, but in some people it may precede other types of stress. Physiological stress is an atypical reaction of a person’s physical (physiological) nature to a conflict situation. This reaction manifests itself in a change in a person’s physical condition: insomnia, chronic fatigue, exacerbation of chronic diseases, dizziness, loss of appetite and other body reactions.

Emotional stress – emotional unstable reaction to conflicts, inability to cope with the emotional tension that increases during conflict interactions. In this case, the individual spends large emotional resources of his psyche, so stress occurs.

Information and psychological stress occurs due to information overload. With any interpersonal interaction, the human brain receives a large amount of information that must be processed. Excessive amounts of work and numerous contacts increase the volume of information, causing overwork.

People's responses to stressors can vary depending on personality traits, the person's internal resources, and the context of the situation itself in which the stress occurs. Thus, the approaching deadlines for final exams at an educational institution may be perceived by the heads of the institution, teachers, and parents of students differently, depending on how much a person likes to find a way out of difficult situations, whether colleagues are ready to unite into a single team and help each other, whether they understand family members need to stay at work for a long time.

Although people are susceptible to stress differently, chronic stress can have a negative impact on health. Some people have an active reaction (aggression); under stress, the effectiveness of their activities continues to increase to a certain limit. ("stress of the lion"), while others have a passive reaction (resentment), the effectiveness of their activities drops immediately (“rabbit stress”). However, in any case, the lack of ability to manage stress leads to serious consequences and illnesses. With an aggressive reaction, a person develops diseases of the cardiovascular system (heart attack, stroke, angina pectoris, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, neuroses, as well as dental caries, gum atrophy, liver destruction, etc.). When reacting to resentment, as a rule, a person develops diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, colitis, gastritis, oncology, etc.).

The teacher is prompted to constant stress reactions by professional activity and the mandatory need for interpersonal contacts within the framework of formal relationships and interaction in the educational process. It is in the workplace that a person’s general “stress level” can be quite high, as deadlines are pressing, management is annoying, it gets on one’s nerves and depresses the behavior of others. Some teachers themselves initiate conflicts or become involved in them, especially in the process of interaction during teaching. A physiologically long process leads to the continuous release of stress hormones. Under the influence of mental stress, the vital functions of the body change. As a result, the heartbeat quickens, blood pressure rises, the breathing rhythm changes, the muscles are abundantly supplied with blood, the whole body is constantly in a state of combat readiness, insomnia begins before a responsible performance, a feeling of hunger and headaches appear.

Such consequences of stress discourage teachers from communicating with colleagues and students, force them to take sick leave, or even look for a less stressful job. A person can become so irritable that they are unable to interact constructively with others, some even have outbursts of irritation and violence, so stressful life situations are usually socially undesirable. The individual severity of stress is determined to a large extent by a person’s awareness of his responsibility for himself and others, and his attitude towards his role in the current situation.

Thus, although all people have different reactions to stress, common behavioral trends are observed in interaction practices. So, in the 1950s. Cardiologists and researchers Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenmann discovered two types of behavior: A and B.

For type A behavior (racehorse), characteristic:

• – constant desire to do as much as possible in the shortest period of time;
• – harsh speech (interrupts interlocutors);
• – impatience, unwillingness to wait (considers waiting a waste of time);
• – negative attitude towards low workload and work orientation;
• – constant struggle – with people, things, events;
• – manifested character traits: aggressive, offensive, ambitious, competitive, work-oriented and always on the move.

The consequence of such a life, as already noted, is coronary heart disease. At the same time, thanks to their energy potential and the ability to wisely use the energy of stress, people with type A behavior can become the driving force of innovation and leadership in their teams and in the educational process. At the same time, it is often they who create stress problems for themselves, and sometimes for those around them.

Other typical behavior is Type B behavior (turtle). Typically, a person with this behavior does not enter into conflicts with time or with people, leads a more balanced, calm lifestyle, is sometimes quite energetic, strives to work hard, to get things done, a confident style allows him to work stably and productively.

At the same time, experts believe that minor stress is inevitable and harmless, and sometimes its results can even be significant. G. Selye called positive stress eistress (from Greek to her - good; For example, euphoria). Eustress is also necessary in our lives. Since stress is an adaptive reaction mediated by personality characteristics, it happens that at times of stress, individual people show general composure in their behavior, actions become clearer, the speed of motor reactions increases, and physical performance increases. At the same time, it was noticed that perception sharpens, the thinking process accelerates, memory improves, and concentration increases. And yet, excess stress, as practice shows, is undoubtedly harmful, including for participants in interaction in the educational process.

• Hans Selye. Stress without distress. M.: Progress, 1982.