Pressure can have a positive effect in stimulating motivation and alertness, providing the incentive needed to overcome challenging situations.
However extreme, persistent and unrelieved pressure can lead to stress and feelings of anger, fear and frustration, and cause a variety of short-term and long-term illnesses with damaging effects on individual mental and physical well being.
Pressure and stress are related but are different.
- Pressure is a subjective feeling. It is the tension or arousal that results from a stressful situation.
Pressure is what most of us mean when we say we are feeling stressed. That is, when faced with a stressful situation we experience some tension/arousal. In most cases we are feeling pressure and not damaging stress
- Pressure is positive. It is often called positive stress or eustress. This is because it gives us the motivation and drive that we need to perform. When we feel too little pressure we are not likely to feel motivated or inclined to strive towards our goals. This is called ‘rust out’ or the boredom range. As the level of pressure rises we become more motivated and will perform better. For example athletes often report that they do better when they are competing and/or when they are being watched. This is because they are under pressure to perform well.
- Pressure is positive and desirable (up to a certain level). When the pressure becomes too great that is when we experience stress and burn out.
|