Hans Selye was the person who first researched stress. He described it as being the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made on it. That is, stress is physical and mental arousal in situations that the person interprets as being threatening or challenging.
To some extent we’re always in a state of stress, as we’re constantly adapting to some kind of demand. However, there are certain experiences which lead to more stress and exert greater pressure on our coping skills. Over time, these can also take a toll on our health – and are therefore potentially dangerous. They include:
1.   Cataclysmic Events: These are massive stressors that occur suddenly and which generally affect a lot of people at the same time. Some examples of this would be a ferry disaster, a tsunami or the events of 9/11.
2.   Life Changes: These are life events that require some adjustment in behavior or lifestyle. Often they are positive, such as getting married or having a baby.
3.   Chronic stress: This is a state of ongoing arousal where the person can never completely relax. It is one of the most damaging forms of stress. Examples might include looking after a chronically sick relative; living with an abusive family member; living with someone with a mental disorder; having to juggle work and family responsibilities – especially when living in poverty.
4.    Role conflict: This is where a person is forced to choose between two or more different and incompatible role demands. For example, being scheduled to work when you have an exam; or having an important business meeting on the day when your child is too sick to go to school.
5.   Frustration is the negative tension we experience in response to having blocked goals.  For example, think of training for a sport all year - and then not winning anything at all.
6.   Job Stress: This can be due to being unemployed, or through changing your job or careers frequently. However, most stressful of all is working full time in a job that demands high performance constantly - but gives little opportunity for control, decision making, creativity or career advancement.
7.   Hassles: These are small, everyday irritations and worries that accumulate over time. Eventually they turn into a major source of stress. They include irritations like lack of sleep, looming deadlines, and annoying room-mates.
From this list you will see that many ordinary events are significant stressors if they’re not addressed. That is, it’s not just major crises that put stress on our bodies – aggravations and niggles can be dangerous as well. Â
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