About stress
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Introduction
Stress is the feeling of being under pressure. A little bit of pressure can:
- increase productivity;
- be motivating;
- improve performance.
However, too much pressure or prolonged pressure can lead to stress, which is unhealthy for the mind and body. It can cause symptoms such as:
- difficulty sleeping;
- sweating;
- lack of appetite;
- difficulty concentrating.
How common is stress?
It is difficult to estimate how common stress is because not everyone who has stress visits their GP. However, research suggests that a quarter of all adults will have a mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety, at some point in their lives. The same issues that contribute to these conditions, such as divorce and unemployment, may also cause stress.
A recent survey estimated that during 2008 and 2009, over 400,000 people in Britain experienced work-related stress that was making them unwell. Another survey from 2009 found that around one in six workers thought that their job was stressfu...
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