DEFINITIONS OF STRESS

What is stress: Stress is the excitement, feeling of anxiety and/or physical tension that occurs when demands placed on an individual exceed his or her ability to cope. This definition has evolved from the following concepts:

Physics definition: Exposure to external physical pressure (force in foot pounds, kilopascals) were a object such as brittle metal will deform and eventually break.

Biological definition: Body's reaction to disruptive external forces (heat, altitude, overload, lack of sleep).

Modern society's definition: Vulnerability to multiple work demands, time pressures and psychosocial conflicts inherent in today's world.