Stress is defined as a state in which an organism experiences psychological and biological strain due to various demands (Salleh, 2008). Stress affects everyone regardless of all factors, whether age, income, or ethnicity; therefore, it is something everyone must cope with and understand. In this module, students will gain an understanding of stress and learn to define it.
Stress is something everyone feels at some point in their life. We all experience stress at different intensities and handle it differently. Both of these will determine the signs and symptoms of stress someone shows. For young adults, the most common signs of stress include, but are not limited to: feeling worried, increased heart rate, fear, chills, sadness, and headaches (APA, 2019). Physical signs of stress are symptoms other people may notice. Physical signs of stress include sweating, chills, increased heart rate, hunger, crying, bad temper, face blushing, skin rash, vomiting, stomachaches, and muscle stiffness (APA, 2019). Although our bodies show physical signs of stress, they are still caused by our brains. Cognitive signs of stress are symptoms we can notice but are not as obvious to other people. Cognitive signs of stress include: feeling afraid, weird, weak, worried, tired, sad, embarrassed, or mad; headaches; agitation; inability to think clearly; thoughts about death; and desire to hit someone (APA, 2019).
Stress can affect anyone in any sort of situation. The main types of stress university students encounter will be explored throughout this lesson.
Activities
- Complete the True/False activity
- Complete the Matching activity