Sources Of Stress III

Hassles And Pressure
Much of the stress of modern life arises from self-imposed expectations and 'nonevents' like waiting, disappointments, and boredom.

Hassles
Hassles are small-scale annoyances, irritations and frustrations. Hassles include lost keys and umbrellas, being stuck in traffic, getting a busy signal, and having minor arguments with others. While no hassle alone can trigger dangerous levels of stress response, hassles tend to accumulate and the resultant stress level builds.

Pressure
Pressure is experienced when expectations or demands for behaviour increase. As a result, we feel forced to speed up our actions, hurry our decisions or intensify our efforts. Pressures can come from internal sources, as when we worry about our own appearances, grades or performances. They can also come from external sources, such as parents, peers, employers, and cultural norms about what is considered attractive, popular or successful.



The Type A Personality
Research has identified a sort of stress-prone personality profile, dubbed the Type A personality. The Type A personality is characterized by perfectionism, an obsession with time and punctuality, and high standards for performance. Type A's are highly competitive and often achieve success and rewards for this behaviour pattern. They are often impatient, angry and frustrated, especially when prevented from completing tasks well or on time, as when traffic delays their travel or others are not punctual.

The Type A personality was originally identified when it was found to be a behaviour pattern associated with a greater risk for heart disease. Type A behaviour is thus considered coronary-prone behaviour. The opposite pattern has been labeled Type B, a profile that is relaxed, unhurried, and cooperative rather than competitive.

The Type A pattern is probably learned over many years, and strategies for change involve learning new behaviours. Thus Type A 's might reduce their risk of heart disease and other stress-related ailments by learning to wait patiently, relax and manage stress.



Life Changes
A common-sense approach to stress suggests that we are stressed by unpleasant experiences like threat and conflict. An illuminating area of research, however, has indicated that any kind of life change -- whether it requires a major or minor alteration in subsequent behaviour -- acts as a stressor.

Research by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in the 1950d and 1960s resulted in development of a scale of illness-producing life changes. The 'top 10' life changes on the list, in descending order of magnitude, includes the following:

• death of a spouse
• divorce
• marital separation
• jail term
• death of close family member
• personal injury or illness
• marriage
• loss of job
• marital reconciliation
• retirement

Not all these experiences are usually considered unpleasant, but all do initiate changed and adaptive behaviour, activating the stress response system.