Stress – An Ever-Present Problem

Dear blog readers, dear Peak customers,

Our world is becoming increasingly fast-paced. We are living in an era of burnout syndrome. Many people already feel overwhelmed by their daily lives. Sensory overload, time pressures, and a seemingly unmanageable amount of information weigh on us every day. Add to that environmental toxins, noise, and exhaust fumes. Since all of this is already too much for us, many people try to at least take it easy physically so as not to let physical stress set in as well.

Stress dictates our daily routine and will continue to do so—and the trend is on the rise.

Since I find myself in a similar situation—where demands are increasing rather than decreasing—it was time to take a closer look at the topic of stress.

What exactly is stress? How does it arise? What defines it? How can we avoid it? Can we learn to cope with stress? How does stress affect our athletic performance?

I’ll try to answer all these questions—and a few more—in the following blog posts.

Take your time, pour yourself a cup of tea, put on some soft music, and read through my thoughts in a completely “stress-free” way.

What is stress?

Stress can generally be described as the body’s physical, biochemical, or psychological response to demands that cannot be met with the resources available.

As a result, stress leads to specific physical symptoms, changes in bodily processes, and emotional reactions.

The fact is that stress causes changes in hormonal and neural processes within the body.

Stress manifests itself in various ways, whether as despair, a decline in performance and resilience, anxiety, or even anger and irritability.

What do people react to with stress, and why?

By definition, people react when they are unable to meet demands, whether due to a lack of coping strategies or a lack of strength or physical/mental resources.

Deficits may be inherent or arise from situations in which resources are already tied up in other tasks.

The physiological processes triggered by stress date back to the time when we were still hunters and gatherers. When encountering a predator, the stress response triggered a mobilization of energy, which we then expended through fight or flight. Today, we trigger the same physiological processes under stress, but we lack the balancing mechanism.

Eustress/Distress

When exploring the topic of stress, one encounters the terms “eustress” and “distress.” Eustress derives from the word “euphoria,” while distress comes from “dissonance.”

Both terms describe different stages or levels of stress.

Eustress involves a relatively low level of stress that motivates and spurs those affected to complete upcoming tasks.

Distress is the level of stress that exceeds one’s coping abilities and tends to have demotivating, performance-inhibiting effects.

The diagram illustrates the relationship between stress levels and performance.

Hypostress (under-stress) must be understood here as a state of being underchallenged.

Stress Models

There are a number of different stress models and theories, which I would like to briefly introduce in the following text.

Cannon, W.: “Fight-or-Flight Response” (1932)

This model describes the physiological process that occurs under stress.

Our brainstem reacts to unexpected incoming signals and must assess the danger of a situation within seconds, which in turn triggers specific reactions. (Reflex)

Stressors lead to defensive aggression. This triggers the release of catecholamines (adrenaline and norepinephrine) as well as the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. This activation raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, and blocks the gastrointestinal tract.

All in all, under stress, the body functions at peak performance—a response that was absolutely essential in prehistoric times to ensure survival. Even today, under stress, the body mobilizes all its energy for muscular strength; however, this form of energy is rarely needed in this way to cope with problems. This is where the problem arises!

Seyle H: “General Adaptation Syndrome” (1936)

During his research, he noticed that people with different illnesses exhibited the same symptoms—such as loss of appetite, demotivation, loss of muscle strength, and weight loss—and even their facial expressions were similar. (“Symptoms of Illness”)

Regardless of the type of illness, the adrenal cortex expands and the thymic-lymphatic tissue (tissue of the lymphatic system) is reduced.

His fundamental definition of stress is derived from this research:

He divides the general adaptation syndrome into three phases:

• Alarm reaction: Perception of the specific stressor

• Resistance stage: Habituation/adaptation to the stressor

• Exhaustion stage: Fatigue/overload

Alarm reaction

This is when the body confronts the dangerous situation; homeostasis is disrupted, and resources are mobilized to cope. The sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla are stimulated, leading to the release of adrenaline. Blood flow to the brain, muscles, and heart is optimized.

Resistance Phase

In this phase, maximum adaptive capacities are mobilized to counteract the stress. If it is possible to cope with the stress, we subsequently return to the baseline level. If we can only withstand the situation without resolving it, the exhaustion phase eventually sets in. A situation that is absolutely impossible to resolve can theoretically even lead to death.

Exhaustion Stage

Gradually, the body becomes overloaded.

Effects

The alarm phase leads to overstimulation

The resistance phase leads to psychosomatic symptoms (such as asthma or hypertension)

The exhaustion phase leads to increased susceptibility to infection, premature aging, depression, and anxiety.

Lacey, J.I.: “Fractionation Theory” (1967)

Lacey distanced himself from the activation theory and proposed his own fractionation theory.

According to this theory, there is a so-called “intake reaction” to environmental changes. These manifest as a decrease in heart rate and a drop in systolic blood pressure.

This physiological state facilitates the processing of environmental stimuli.

In addition, there is also the so-called “rejection” (reactive response). This also occurs in response to environmental changes and leads to an increase in heart rate and systolic blood pressure. The purpose of this state is to block out environmental stimuli.

According to Lacey, stress leads to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as an enhanced skin conductance response. As a corollary to the anxiety, tendency toward depression, and hostility that arise under stress, the exhalation phase slows down while the inhalation phase shortens.

Holmes, T.H.; Rahe, R.H.: Life Events Theory (1967)

According to this theory, certain events can trigger stress and lead to illness if they occur frequently. Forty-three of these events were evaluated based on their level of stress. Using their arithmetic mean, the so-called LCU scale (Life Change Units) was developed. According to this scale, one reaches the limit of one’s adaptive capacity when exceeding 3,000 points within a year.

McGrath, J.E.: “Imbalance Model” (1970)

This model focuses on an imbalance. Stress is defined as a disruption of homeostasis or as a significant mismatch between environmental demands and an individual’s capacity to respond.

These demands arise, on the one hand, from external influences and, on the other hand, from one’s own desires and needs.

Stress is therefore a disruption in the interplay between goals, their realization, and the conditions that influence that realization.

Thus, another influencing factor comes into play: the current conditions.

Current circumstances

This factor depends on the person’s mood, physical well-being, the time available, and their personality.

The findings from the field of sports that align with this model are particularly interesting.

According to this, when arousal remains constant and the difficulty of the task increases, performance quality decreases.

If arousal levels rise while the difficulty remains constant, this contributes to improved performance.

When the outcome of a game is predictable, the arousal level decreases. Rising arousal can be observed when the game’s outcome is uncertain.

The 6 stressors from this theory.

Person, role, task, scope of action, social and physical environment

Lazarus, R.: “Transactional Stress Model” (1974)

This model posits that stress depends on one’s assessment of the situation. Thus, there is a certain degree of individuality in the subjective assessment of “danger” and one’s own resources. Assessing one’s own resources depends in part on one’s self-confidence and drive, as well as the associated evaluation of the situation, which can manifest as feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, or optimism.

Situational Assessment

A stressor does not qualify as such because it exceeds a certain stimulus threshold, but because the individual in question assesses it as such.

This assessment takes place in three stages:

Primary Assessment:

Stimuli are perceived and assessed for potential danger

Secondary Assessment:

The potential for physical, psychological, or social harm is assessed. Subsequently, depending on the situation and one’s own resources, coping strategies are identified. (Coping)

Reassessment:

Alternative behaviors are weighed against one another, conditions are modified, and the threat is reassessed. If a normal state cannot be achieved, pathological adaptation occurs, leading to a change in the organism that manifests as a stress response.

Levi, L.: “Reaction-Centered Stress Model” (1975)

He defines stress as the organism’s response to stressors that disrupt its dynamic equilibrium (psychological, biological, and physiological response processes).

Here, therefore, a distinction is made between reactions based on emotions (psychological), processes within the body (biochemical), and visible symptoms (physical).

The development of stress is a chain of successive reactions in all or only some of these areas. Depending on genetic predisposition, these influences elicit either vulnerability or resilience. Both influence or challenge the organism, thereby placing it under stress. Under stress, precursors of disease (symptoms) arise, which can develop into serious clinical conditions.

v. Harrison, R.: “Misfit Model” (1978)

Stress arises when an individual’s resources are insufficient to meet demands, creating an imbalance between stressors and coping mechanisms.

Stressors include both external factors and unmet needs or failure.

Reactions often do not correspond to the actual demands but arise from distorted perceptions of those demands (excessive self-doubt, insecurity).

Hobfoll, S.: “Theory of Resource Conservation” (1988)

People strive to protect their own resources and to acquire new ones. Stressors hinder this endeavor.

Stress is a reaction to the environment that is triggered either by the impending loss of resources or by the failure to gain new resources

The threat of resource loss causes stress, as it results in a reduced capacity to cope with future stressors.

Resources can be divided into:

• Object resources: (house, car, clothing)

• Personal resources: (empathy, social skills, responsibility)

• Circumstantial resources: (self-assessment, family status, workplace)

• Energy resources: (time, knowledge, money)

Ultimately, the level of stress is determined by the cost-benefit analysis of resources contributed and gained. This analysis determines how one proceeds.

Individuals with abundant resources can handle stress much better than those with limited resources.

“Multiaxial Coping Model”

This model focuses on resource preservation. In addition to personal demands, it also addresses social demands. The coping strategy is directed at all affected individuals. This creates a certain degree of interdependence. The need for social acceptance plays an important role.

Based on this theory, individual and shared coping axes were developed.

Active-Passive Axis:

This axis reflects an individual’s involvement in coping with a stressful situation. Passivity manifests itself in avoidance behavior, caution, or the implementation of preventive measures to avoid resource loss

Prosocial–Antisocial Axis:

Here, the focus is on “togetherness.” Prosocial behavior requires support, cooperation, and a careful, collaborative approach. Antisocial behavior is dominated by indifference and selfishness.

Direct-Indirect Axis:

To avoid losing face when actions fail, people attempt to manage stress indirectly. In group therapy, this often fosters a strong sense of harmony.

Current Stress Theories

Current stress researchers focus on workplace stress. Studies show that at least 28% of all employees suffer from stress. The consequences include illness, absenteeism, employee turnover, and decreased performance.

The current focus is therefore on identifying stressors and developing strategies that reduce stress. The “Occupational Psychology Stress Model” was created as an extension of Lazarus’s stress concept.

It takes into account psychological processes of stress regulation, complex stress constellations, and long-term consequences of stress, and summarizes these in an assessment framework to later develop coping strategies.

Siegfried Grad’s new definition of stress states that stress is a subjectively intense, unpleasant state of tension. It arises from the fear that a highly stressful situation—whether perceived as imminent or already occurring, and subjectively perceived as long-lasting—is likely not fully controllable, yet it is subjectively important to avoid this situation.

In occupational psychology, there are situational and personal stressors. Situational stressors refer to the influences one is confronted with in the environment. Personal stressors relate to an individual’s abilities, competencies, and characteristics.

These stressors are counterbalanced by one’s own resources and means, which can be used to cope with demands. Ultimately, all these factors determine the onset of stress.

Summary—How Stress Arises

Stress is always a subjective experience of an individual. The concept of stress primarily concerns the interplay between resources and demands.

Resources

Resources are means for coping with everyday situations. On the one hand, we are born with them; on the other hand, we have the ability to expand them ourselves. People have personal resources such as mental health, physical health, and cognitive abilities, as well as social resources such as family, friends, colleagues, and socioeconomic status.

Options for Action

These determine whether there are alternatives that can be chosen to solve a problem. The more options for action there are, the greater the likelihood that an unpleasant demand can be managed.

Demands

Demands represent the tasks we must cope with on a daily basis. They arise, on the one hand, from external influences such as work, school, or the need to make a living, and, on the other hand, from our own needs and desires. When it comes to needs, there are basic needs (food, health, and shelter), which must be met on an ongoing basis. On the other hand, there are situational needs that need to be met only once.

Stressors

Stress always arises when demands exceed resources. Here, we can further distinguish between situations we are able to handle and situations that simply overwhelm us. In the first case, we are able to increase our performance. In the second case, being overwhelmed will have a negative impact on performance.

If no resources are left to meet an upcoming demand, that demand becomes a stressor. Stressors are categorized as follows:

• Chemical stressors such as toxins or drugs

• Physical stressors such as heat/cold, noise, hunger, illness, or foul odors

• Psychological stressors such as anxiety, being overburdened, or, conversely, underutilized

• Social stressors such as conflicts, the loss of loved ones, or isolation

Summary

Now that it’s clearly defined HOW stress arises, in Part 2 I’ll discuss how a stress response unfolds and what biochemical processes take place in the body. I’ll also identify symptoms of stress and suggest ways to manage, avoid, and combat it. Finally, I’d like to address the topic of how stress affects athletic performance.

Until then, I send my best wishes to all readers.

Best regards,

Yours,

Holger Gugg

www.body-coaches.de

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