Stress may be described as existing stimuli in our milieu, forcing us to function at a higher level of alertness. These stimuli may be immediate or remote.

For example, during the study hours an aspiring student concentrates hard. Studying at a higher level of concentration may be due to an impending examination (immediate stimuli) or the same might have been motivated by an ambition to be one of the best doctors in future (remote stimuli). Too much of either may give rise to stress.

Without stimulus life would be incredibly dull and monotonous. But too much stimulus makes life unpleasant and exhausting. Thus too much stress can not only hamper our ability to perform effectively but also disrupt our health and well being.

One of the best ways to comprehend stress and its effect is to look upon each individual as a two-shelled model. The inner shell comprises our potential. Under optimum condition the inner potential lies in close proximity to the outer shell. This outer shell is exposed to the various environmental stimuli. Eg. achieving targets, taking an exam, a promotion from the current status etc.

Existing stimuli lay demand on the potential to function at a needed level. Thus to cope with the existing situation the potential expands if necessary right up to the outer shell. Continued expansion leads to maturation of the persons ability to manage people and circumstances. Thus for obvious reasons lack of stimuli will lead to less expansion of a persons potential. Hence all of us need proper stimuli to motivate us to perform to our fullest potential.

So far so good: The problem arises when the stimuli in the environment become overwhelming, long drawn and unmanageable. In this situation the potential fails in the face of immense demands laid by the environment and it starts to shrink. Nature does not leave a vacuum, and the effects of stress take up the empty space generated:

• Anger and Irritability
• Frustration and Depression
• Fatigue and Exhaustion
• Anxiety and Pessimism

All this compound up to further decrease our potential which leads to more failure (more generation of empty space) and increase of the above mentioned effects of overwhelming stress and pressure. Thus is born a VICIOUS CYCLE.

This model of stress generation is vital to the understanding of stress or crisis management, cause it will help us comprehend better the means and methods available to break the vicious cycle.

Conclusion: Stress is like electricity. The right amount of electricity powers our music system, light our light bulbs and turns on our PC. Too much of the same electricity blasts out our speakers, burns out our light bulbs, and causes a power surge that can knock out data on our hard drive.

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 Next up - Sources of stress (Part I)