#58 Decoding Stress: From Acute to Chronic

#58 Decoding Stress: From Acute to Chronic

Last week I wrote about the trend in stress searches on google in Ireland and internationally, as well as briefly discussing what stress is and how it's created.

This week I'll go through the different types of stress, and next week the different coping strategies commonly used.

This theme of stress is leading into the a free webinar on stress that I am hosting. It's on Monday May 13th at 7pm IST and will cover all these topics and more. You can read more about it here or you can register for free at this link.


Different types of stressors

With stress, it's helpful to understand how frequent you're stressed and then how it's created. Below, I'll go into frequency first and causes after.

Frequency of Stress

Short term: Acute Stress

Short-term stress that comes from recent pressures or anticipated demands about the future. It's the most common form of stress and typically manageable, but can be exciting in small doses. (Think meeting tight deadlines, preparing for a critical presentation, or handling a challenging client call).

Medium term: Episodic Acute Stress

When acute stress happens frequently, leading to a life filled with crisis and chaos. This type is common among people who take on too much or those who can't organise their schedules well. (Think regularly facing high workloads or constantly juggling between multiple high-pressure projects).

Long term: Chronic Stress

Stress that feels endless and inescapable, like the stress of a bad relationship/marriage, an extremely taxing job, or financial insecurity. Chronic stress can be damaging over time, leading to a breakdown of physical and mental health. (Enduring ongoing workplace instability, continuous interpersonal conflicts, or long-term career dissatisfaction)

Cause of Stress

I'm focused on psychological stress but it's important to know that within stress, there are a range of types such as physiological, environmental and physical among a lot more.

Within psychological stress, here are the 7 most common ones I've come across in my work:

  1. Academic stress: educational pressures, exams, and performance expectations
  2. Social stress: challenges in relationships, social interactions, and societal expectations
  3. Work-related stress: demands, deadlines, and workplace dynamics
  4. Financial stress: economic pressures, debt, and financial instability
  5. Relationship stress: conflicts, breakups, and interpersonal challenges
  6. Traumatic stress: exposure to traumatic events like accidents, natural disasters, or violence
  7. Health-related stress: illness, chronic conditions, and medical treatments


Steps to Identify Stress Frequency and Causes

Below are often the first steps for someone who has identified stress as an area that they'd like to improve on:

  1. Maintain a Stress Journal: Start by keeping a daily log of when you feel stressed. Note the time, the situation, what event triggered the feeling and how you respond. We'll use this to look for patterns over a few weeks. This will help you identify the specific times of day or the circumstances that frequently lead to stress.
  2. Categorise the Stress: As you review your journal, categorise each stress event according to its type—acute, episodic acute, or chronic. This classification will help you see if there's a recurring type of stress and how it manifests in your life.
  3. Analyse the Triggers: For each recorded instance, write down what triggered the stress. Was it a work deadline, a personal interaction, or perhaps a self-imposed expectation? Understanding your triggers can be enlightening and empower you to manage or avoid them.
  4. Assess Your Reactions: Notice how you respond to stress. Do you become withdrawn, angry, or overwhelmed? Writing down your emotions and reviewing them will allow you to identofy how you've learned to feel under stress. There is no right or wrong approach, everyone has their own individual way of dealing with it. Identifying your stress responses can be crucial in recognising early signs before they escalate.

Until next week,

Patrick

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