Converting stress to pressure
“I am totally stressed.” “This is so stressful.” How often do we say these words? What if, each time we announce that we are stressed, we are injecting ourselves with a toxic brew of chemicals? Stress is a high- profile affliction in this society and is often identified as the cause of various maladies we may contract. Many of us identify what we are feeling as stress simply because that is the easiest and most in- vogue terminology for our condition. The term “stress” has been used to describe bad moods, fatigue, excitement, anxiety, and tensions. But do all those feelings equate with stress? Actually, no. Real stress is threat. Threat creates a primal response in which our body produces the necessary chemicals to enable us to fight or flee. “Threat is what some power, usually a person or group, can do and may very well do to harm us”. If we make a distinction between stress and pressure, perhaps the destructive impacts of stress will become clearer. “Threat is not the same as pressure— one may rush to catch a train or plane with worry and fear about missing it, but without threat”. The popularization of the term “stress” has taken a toll on us. Labeling our feelings as stressful can actually make them feel worse. Stress is unhealthy because it eats away at our armor of self- protection and self- determination. Pressure, on the other hand, can give us momentum to act. Unlike stress, “pressure can be a constructive, propelling force in our reactions to life situations”. “I’m feeling the pressure to get my reading done.” “The pressure to learn this new program is taking a lot more energy than I thought it would.” “I’m under a lot of pressure to make a decision.” Pressure can be a contributor to resiliency. Try switching your language use from “stress” to “pressure” and see if that makes a difference in minimizing your image of worry or sense of threat.