Stress, Have You Heard of It?

"Stress" is a term that was borrowed from the field of engineering and applied to the psychological status of human beings. The support system of a bridge, for example, is limited. It can withstand a certain amount of weight, stress, or more specifically, "strain" before it goes crashing down into the river below. Fortunately, human beings are not that simple and limited. When we encounter increased amounts of stress and psychological strain, we are usually able to readjust, cope, and take more … up to a point. Thankfully, we are more adaptable and flexible than a bridge support! However, some people have limited knowledge and skill in making those needed adjustments. They also do not know what their ultimate limits are.

Stress in general is not avoidable in today’s world. It is surprising to some to learn that even good things that happen in life may be stressful. Generally, anything that requires an individual to make adjustments (or adaptations) is stressful. Some examples of positive life events that are stressful are: birth of a child, building a new house, a new job or new job responsibilities, traveling for vacation. These examples, as well as the several examples that most of us can offer of negative life events, make clear that stress is unavoidable. For a higher quality of life and in order to perform at more satisfactory levels as parents, employees, or just good neighbors, we need to take inventory of our sources of stress and learn effective methods of managing them. We can learn a great deal about stress management, in general, from a visit to the public library or the psychology or "self-help" section of a bookstore. Another alternative is to call for a brief consultation with one of the senior-level psychologists at MEERS, Inc. where you may learn that managing stress is not an insurmountable task but that it is critical in order to achieve optimal and satisfactory levels of mental and physical health.

D. Jerome Meers, Ph.D.

Consulting Psychologist