Stress, Tension, Anxiety? By Geo Kappen

People often use the words tension, stress or anxiety to indicate same thing. According to psychology they are not the same. Let's take a look at it:

Stress

Stress is your body's reaction to external or internal demand or threat. Stress gear up an organism to "fight or flight" response. The selection of 'fight' or 'flight' is based on the existence of fear. It is based on person and situation.

Stress can be of good and bad. It is based on the stressor. Stressor is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, an event or an external stimulus that causes stress to an organism. There are two type of stressors. They are Eustress and Distress.

Eustress results in good or positive stress. In other words stress caused by eustress is pleasurable or enjoyable. It motivates to perform well. Eustress is perceived inside one's coping abilities. It is short term and feels exciting. For example, marriage, job promotion, getting big opportunities etc...

Distress on the other hand results in bad or negative stress.

"I'm stressed out."

This is the 'stress' that many of us want to express. Distress can be of short term or long term. If distress lasts long and unable to share, probably the person may go to the stage of psychological and physical problems. Distress causes anxiety and perceived outside of coping abilities of the sufferer.  It feels unpleasant and decreases performance. It causes concern. For example, unemployment, separation from spouse or committed relationship etc...

Tension

In physics tension is the state of being stretched tight. In psychology it is mental or emotional strain. Tension is present oriented. If stress is a 'reaction' or 'response' to certain stimuli, tension is a 'state'. It is perceived as an uncertain and unease state by the sufferer. We are not reacting to tension but being in it. In tension the organism wants to become into normal state from tensed level. It is about meeting expectations. Tension ends when the expectation is met or the source of tension is removed. For example, meeting a deadline, achieving a target etc...

Anxiety

In simple sense, anxiety is future oriented. It is a feeling of fear, worry and apprehension about what to come. It may be an upcoming exam, interview, first day of new school, an upcoming speech competition etc...

If the feeling of anxiety lasts for more than six months it may lead to further mental and physical problems.