Stress , Conflict and Frustration

STRESS
• The state of psychological upset or disequilibrium in the human being caused by
frustration, conflict and other internal as well as external strains and pressures.
• Stress is a very common problem being faced today.
• Every individual will experience stress in one or the other time.
• Stress is a biological and psychological response
• Stress is an internal state which can be caused by physical demands of body
Stress is often described as a feeling of being overloaded, woundup tight, tense and worried. We
all experience stress at times. It can sometimes help to motivate us to get a task finished, or
perform well. But stress can also be harmful if we become over-stressed and it interferes with our
ability to get on with our normal life for too long.
DEFINITION
• Stress is defined as a mental, physical or emotional strain on the body.
• Generally stress occurs in response to a stressor
• Stressors may be internally or externally
• Eustress is the term used to describe positive stress.
• Distress is the term used to indicate negative stress.

Physical stress: Impact state of our body or strain our body e.g. we overexert, lack of nutrition/diet, suffer
an injury or fail to get enough sleep.
Environmental stress: is caused by our surroundings. E.g. pollution, crowding, noise, heat of the summer,
winter cold or catastrophic events like floods, fire and earthquakes etc.
Psychological Stress: These are generated in our minds and are personal and unique to the person. Caused
by frustration, conflicts, internal and social pressures they lead to worry, anxiety or depression.

TYPES OF STRESS
● Acute Stress
• Acute stress is the most common form of stress.
• It comes from demands and pressures of the recent.
● Sometimes stress can be brief, and specific to the demands and pressures of a particular
situation, such as a deadline, a performance or facing up to a difficult challenge or traumatic
event. This type of stress often gets called acute stress.
● Episodic Acute Stress • Acute stress that is suffered too frequently in episode then it is called
episodic stress.
Some people seem to experience acute stress over and over. This is sometimes referred to as
episodic acute stress. These kind of repetitive stress episodes may be due to a series of very real stressful
challenges, for example, losing a job, then developing health problems, followed by difficulties for a
child in the school setting. For some people, episodic acute stress is a combination of real challenges and
a tendency to operate like a ‘stress machine’. Some people tend to worry endlessly about bad things that
could happen, are frequently in a rush and impatient with too many demands on their time, which can
contribute to episodic acute stress.
● Chronic Stress • The individual having stress for long duration like one year it is called as chronic
stress
The third type of stress is called chronic stress. This involves ongoing demands, pressures
and worries that seem to go on forever, with little hope of letting up. Chronic stress is very harmful
to people’s health and happiness. Even though people can sometimes get used to chronic stress, and
may feel they do not notice it so much, it continues to wear people down and has a negative effect on
their relationships and health.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
• Physical Symptoms - Muscle tension, cold and other illness, hypertension, tachycardia
indigestion, ulcers, insomnia, headache.
• Cognitive Symptoms - Forgetfulness, lack of concentration, self criticism
 • Emotional symptoms - Irritability, Depression, Anger, Fear of Anxiety.

What are the signs of stress?

When we face a stressful event, our bodies respond by activating the nervous system and
releasing hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones cause physical changes in
the body which help us to react quickly and effectively to get through the stressful situation.
This is sometimes called the ‘fight or flight’ response.
The hormones increase our heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, metabolism and muscle
tension. Our pupils dilate and our perspiration rate increases.
While these physical changes help us try to meet the challenges of the stressful situation, they
can cause other physical or psychological symptoms if the stress is ongoing and the physical
changes don’t settle down.
These symptoms can include:
• Headaches, other aches and pains
• Sleep disturbance, insomnia
• Upset stomach, indigestion, diarrhoea
• Anxiety
• Anger, irritability
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Feeling overwhelmed and out of control
• Feeling moody, tearful
• Difficulty concentrating
• Low self-esteem, lack of confidence
• High blood pressure
• Weakened immune system
• Heart disease

SOURCES OF STRESS / STRESSOR

Stressor is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus or an event that
causes stress to an organism.
An event that triggers the stress responses are:
• Environmental Stressors Temperature, Noise, Pollution, Traffic, Crowding and Weather
• Daily stress events – Traffic, lost key, money
• Life Challenges- divorce, bereavement
• Workplace Stressors –
• Chemical Stressors – tobacco, alcohol
• Physiological Stressors - Illness, Injuries, Hormonal Fluctuations
• Social Stressors - Financial Problems, family Demands, Social Events
• Individual Cause - Low Self Esteem, Fear of loss of control

HANS SELYE STAGES OF STRESS

Selye’ s theory of General Adaptation Syndrome(GAS)

There are Three Main Stages associated with the General Adaptation Syndrome (HANS SELYE )
• The Alarm Reaction
• The Stages of Resistance
• The Stages of Exhaustion
STAGES OF STRESS
1. Alarm Reaction • It is an emergency response of the body. In this stage prompt responses of the
body, many of them mediated by the sympathetic nervous system, prepare us to cope with the
stressor here and now. (FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE).
Presence of noxious stimulus or stressor leads to activation of adrenaline-pituitary- cortex system.
This triggers the releasing of hormones to respond to stress making individual to Fight or Flight.
 Noxious stimulus or stressor> activation of adrenaline-pituitary- cortex system> Fight or Flight
mode

2. Stage of Resistance • If the stressor continues to be present, the stage of resistance begins, wherein
the body resists the effects of the continuous stressor. During this stage certain hormonal responses
of the body are an important line of defence in resisting the effects of stressors (For example, release
of ACTH).
If stress is prolonged this stage begins. The parasympathetic system calls for more cautious use of
body’s resources. The organism makes efforts to cope with the threat, through confrontation.
Prolonged Stress> Parasympathetic system uses body resources cautiously > Organism confronts the
threat and attempts to cope up.

3. Stage of Exhaustion • In this stage, the body’s capacity to respond to both continuous and new
stressors has been seriously compromised. The person will no longer be able to face stressor and he will
finally accept to it.
Continuous exposure to same stressor> drains body resources> Alarm reaction & Resistance do not work>
lead to stress related diseases like blood pressure etc.

Lifestyle:
Lifestyle is the overall pattern of decisions and behaviours that determine a person’s health and quality of
life. Stressed individuals are more likely to be exposed to pathogens – the agents causing physical illness.
Stressed people have poor nutritional habits, unhealthy sleep pattern and health risking behaviours like
smoking and excessive drinking. These habits adversely impact physical and mental health.
Alternately, studies reveal health promoting behaviours are like balance diet, regular exercise, family
support. Adhering to this lifestyle enhances health and longevity.
Stress Management Techniques:

Stress is a silent killer. Hypertension, heart disease, ulcers, diabetes, cancer all are linked to stress. Due to
our lifestyle changes they are on the rise. In order to reduce stress we need to make some lifestyle changes:
Relaxation Technique: Deep breathing is used along with muscle relaxation to calm the mind and relax the
body.
Meditation procedures: A yogic method of meditation consists of a sequence of techniques to bring about
an altered state of consciousness. It involves thorough concentration that meditator becomes unaware of any
outside stimulation and reaches in a different state of consciousness.
Biofeedback: training involves 3 stages:
1. Developing awareness of a particular physiological response ( e.g. situations when my heart rate goes
up)
2. Learning ways of controlling that in quiet conditions.
3. Transferring this control into actual situations by practice.
Creative Visualization: It is an effective technique for dealing with stress. This involves creative
visualization of any new situation that is susceptible to cause stress. This makes it easier to plan and address
the stressors and convert imagination into reality.
Cognitive Behavioural technique: involves inoculate people against stress. 3 steps:
Assessment: discussing the nature of problem and seeing it from a view point of external/third person.
Stress reduction: involves learning the technique by approaching the solution and using relaxing technique
Application and follow through: by applying the solution by setting self-instructions.
Exercise: Regular exercise improves efficiency of heart, enhances the function of lungs and maintains good
circulation and metabolism. Swimming, walking, running, cycling, skipping etc help make systems stronger
to combat physical impact of stress.
Promoting Positive Health and Wellbeing:
To stay healthy, we need to have Stress resistant Personality – It consists of 3 Cs: I.e. Commitment, Control
and Challenge.
But not everyone has this personality. Regular people need to acquire Life Skills in order to manage stress in
day to day life:
Life Skills: are the abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively
with the demands and challenges of everyday life.
These life skills are–
Assertiveness: this skill helps to communicate clearly confidently our feelings, needs, wants and thoughts.
Ability to say ‘No’ to a request. To express emotions of love, anger openly. Assertive people have high Self
esteem and solid sense of identity.
Time Management: Learning how to plan time and delegate can help relieve the pressure. Learning to
prioritize and doing the things you value than doing non value adds under pressure. Helps focus achieving
your goals.
Rational Thinking: Many stress related problems are caused by distorted thinking. The way you think and
the way you feel are connected. Rational thinking is challenging your distorted /negative thinking from the
past and making positive statements.
e.g. I failed last time I will fail again ..be replaced by This time I am fully prepared and will pass with flying
colours.
Improving Relationships: The people who enjoy lasting sound relationships are better equipped to manage
stress. The key is to: Listen carefully, Express your feelings and accept the other person’s opinion.
Self –care: If we keep ourselves healthy, fit and relaxed we are better prepared to tackle physically and
mentally stressing situations. Relaxed slow breathing is the representation of people who can manage the
stress of noise, pollution, space, light, colour the daily challenges.
Overcoming Unhelpful Habits: Unhelpful habits like- Perfectionism, avoidance, procrastination etc make
you more vulnerable to stress.
Diet: A balanced diet can lift one’s mood give more energy, feed muscles, improve circulation, prevent
illness and strengthen the immune system and make feel better to cope the stress.
Exercise: There’s a consistent positive relationship between physical fitness and health. Regular exercises
help manage weight, health and wellbeing better to address stressful situations.
Positive Attitude: Being tolerant to others’ views, taking credit for success and responsibility for failures,
sense of purpose, being open to ideas, and ability to laugh at yourself.
Positive Thinking: Optimism, inclined to expecting favourable outcomes.
Social Support: Existence people you can rely upon, care, love and value. People who act as social support.

Conflicts and frustration

All individuals at one or other time in our day to day life have conflicts and frustration. Continuous feeling
of chronic conflict and frustration will have a negative impact on our well being. Frustration and unresolved
needs and desires cause great emotional unhappiness.

FRUSTRATION
Meaning of Frustration
Frustration means emotional tension resulting from the blocking of a desire or need (Good, 1959)
According to Barney and Lehner (1953), frustration refers to failure to satisfy a basic need because of either
condition in the individual or external obstacles.
• The word frustration has been derived from a Latin word ‘Frusta’ means ‘obstruct’.
• The term frustration refers to the blocking of behavior directed towards the goal.
The Causes of Frustration may be divided into two:

External factors

Physical factors: Natural calamities, floods, droughts, earthquakes, fire and accidents cause frustration in an
individual.
Social and societal factors: Societal norms and values impose certain obstacle in meeting the individual
needs which leads to frustration
Economic and financial factors: Unemployment and lack of money causes frustration in an individual.

Internal factors

Physical abnormality or defects: Too small or too big a stature, very heavy or thin body, an ugly face or
dark complexion etc causes frustration.
Conflicting desires or aims: When a person has conflicting desires, he develops frustration. For example, a
nurse wants to work in abroad and does not want to leave her family in home country causes frustration.
Individual’s morality and high ideals: An individual’s moral standards, code of ethics and high ideals may
become a source of frustration to him.
Level of aspirations: One may aspire very high in spite of one’s incapabilities or human limitations which
may lead to frustration
Lack of persistence and sincerity in efforts: Frustration may result in one’s own weakness in putting
continuous and persistent efforts with courage, enthusiasm and will power.
SOURCES OF FRUSTRATION
1. Environmental Forces
• Environmental obstacles can frustrate the satisfaction of motives by making it difficult or
impossible for a person to attain a goal. An obstacle may be physical- such as untimely rain,
disruption in electric supply, auto strike, famine, earthquake, war, floods, etc.
2. Personal Frustration
• Unattainable goals or too high goals which are beyond the ability level of a person can be
important sources of frustration. These are learned goals. For instance, a student with average
level of intelligence aspires to score 90% of marks in the examination will definitely face
frustration.
3. Conflict Produced Frustration
• A major source of frustration is found in motivational conflict, in which the expression of one
motive interferes with the expression of other motives.
• A student wants higher education, but too much expenditure comes in between. In this way he
come across many frustrations due to conflict
4. Motivational conflict
• Motivation is one kind of power which makes a person delightful for work. Furthermore,
Positive motivation can makes a man dynamical and encourages for work
• On the other hand, Motivation decreases mental pressure of a person.

REACTIONS TO FRUSTRATIONS
Simple Reactions
• Increasing effort and Trials - During frustrations the individual gives more effort to achieve it
• Compromise - Repeated failure in one activity may cause change the aim with compromise
• Surrender – The individual accept the failure
 Withdrawal from the situation
 Submissiveness
 Violent Reactions
External aggression – The aggression may be directed towards the person or things.
Example the employee who denied the promotion may quarrel with supervisors
Internal aggression – The aggression may be directed towards the self and cause angry,
tension

Conflicts
DEFINITION
• The word conflict has been derived from a Latin word ‘Conflicts’ which means ‘strike two things at
the same time’. Conflict is an opposition between different impulses
• Conflict may be defined as a friction between two desires, motives, needs.

Meaning of conflict
Douglas and Holland defines conflict as a painful emotional state which results from a tension between
opposed and contradictory wishes.
Barney and Lehner defines conflict is a state of tension brought by the presence in the individual of two or
more opposing desires.
TYPES OF CONFLICTS
a. Intrapersonal Conflicts
•These are the conflicts caused within the individual.
•These conflicts arise as a result of two or more motives or goals to be achieved at a time.
Hence, these are called Goal conflicts.
1. Approach- Approach Conflict
• This arises when an individual is faced with the problem of making a choice between two or more
positive goals almost equally motivating and important. For example, a child may have to choose
between watching a movie in TV or going out to play games.
● In this type of conflict individual will have two desires with positive goals which are equally
powerful.
For example,
• A person has two attractive job offers.
• Choosing two cinemas

. Avoidance- Avoidance Conflict

• In this, an individual is forced to choose between two negative courses of action. For example, a
child who does not want to study and at the same time does not want to displease the parents by failing
in the examination may experience such conflict.
• This conflict involves two goals with negative valence.
• At times the individual is forced to choose one among two negative goals.
• In such conflicts, both are unwanted goals, but cannot avoid also.
• For example, don’t want to hard work and don’t want the fail in exam

3 . Approach- Avoidance Conflict

In this, an individual is faced with a problem of choice between approaching and avoiding tendencies
at the same time.
This is also a most complex conflict and very difficult to resolve.
• Because in this type of conflict a person is both attracted and unwanted by the same goal object.
• Here the goal object will have both positive and negative valences.
eg : Ice cream is delicious and tasty but it is also cause obesity
 4. Multiple- Approach - Avoidance Conflict
• Some of the situations in life come across will involve both positive and negative valences of
multiple nature.
• Suppose a woman is engaged to be married. The marriage to her has positive valences
like-providing security to life and marrying a person whom she loves very much.
• On the other hand, if the marriage is repellent to her because she has to quit her attractive job
and salary

RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS
• The conflicts may arise from frustrations, competing roles or goals having positive or
negative valences.
• Some conflicts are of great danger to mental health of the individual.
• Hence, it is necessary to resolve them as quickly as possible.
• Conflicts resolution depends upon the type of conflict.
• The double approach conflict may be easily resolved by satisfying first one goal which is more
important than the other.
• for example , a student attending the class first, then going for food even if hungry.
• Alternatively, this conflict is resolved by giving up one of the goals.
• Obviously, approach-approach conflict does not generate
• In approach-avoidance conflict, since there is only one goal object, it is very difficult to decide.
• Here, compromise with the situation is the only alternative solution to overcome stress resulting
from conflict.
• Finally, in multiple approach-avoidance conflict the individual has to take a decision depending
upon the sum total of positive or negative valences resulting in selection of goals.
Conflict resolution
 Negotiation is an important part of conflict resolution
 First of all, accept each desire as it arrives without judgment or resistance
 Remove any barrier or resistance in choosing among conflicting desires
 Think the goals of life and which one of the desires will be helpful to achieve the life’s goal
 Choose one desire and follow it with full enthusiasm
Sources of Conflict
The conflict arises from the home, school, occupational social and cultural environment.
The faulty upbringing at home, unhealthy relationships, over protection is the sources of conflict from home
environment.
Unpleasant school or college environment, role of teachers, faulty method of teaching, denial of
opportunities for self expression and classmates are some of the sources of conflict in youngsters.
Improper working environment, dissatisfaction with the working conditions, unsatisfactory relationships and
poor salary or wages is the sources of conflict in occupational environment.
The taboos, inhibitions and the negative attitude towards sex are the causes of many sex conflicts in the
minds of youth and adults.

OVERCOMING FRUSTRATION AND CONFLICT

• Identify the source of frustration and conflict and try to remove it
• Decide the important things carefully
• Check everything carefully before do the procedure
 • Always think as positive
• Relax with works
• Make good communication with others
• Proper time management
• Seek reliable help from others
• Avoid doing wrong

References
● https://www.slideshare.net/thirunagalingapandian/stress-conflict-and-frustration
● https://www.slideshare.net/JohnykuttyJoseph/unit-4-frustartion-conflicts-and-stress
● https://www.slideshare.net/thirunagalingapandian/stress-conflict-and-frustration
● https://leverageedu.com/blog/meeting-life-challenges-class-12/
● Understanding and Managing Stress, APS
● https://www.brainkart.com/article/Conflicts-and-frustration_37805/
● Mangal S.K, Educational Psychology