What is Stress ?

“Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them”

Health and Safety Executive, Regulatory body for Health and Safety in the UK

There is a difference between pressure and stress:

Pressure

Pressure can be positive and a motivating factor and is often essential in helping you to carry out your job, particularly when something needs to be done quickly. It can help you to work at your best, achieve your goals and perform better. 

Stress

Stress occurs when this pressure becomes excessive and it is a natural reaction which is also called our fight or flight response. It is not an illness but a state. Acute stress can occur when faced with a challenging situation, such as a job interview or exam, and is natural, and it is when this state remains and becomes chronic that mental and physical illness can develop.