Sget underneath stress it should be an exception, however, more and more often, it seems to have become almost one for many rule.
A mini proves it survey conducted by One good onean online psychology platform, through IG Stories with the aim of exploring how its community perceived and described stress in daily life. Within a few hours they interacted with the stories over 1,300 peoplewhose answers highlighted a rather clear picture: lo stress has become a pervasive condition which shapes the daily lives and physical well-being of many.
Stress as a daily ‘mood’
Any data? 8 out of 10 people say they feel stressed at least once a day. 44% use the expression “I’m stressed” 1-2 times in an average day. This fact is even more significant 21% who declare they have even “lost count”, a sign of constant tension that leaves no room for moments of recovery. Just one small minority (20%) she seems to be almost completely immune to it.
Stress as an emotional “shortcut”.
The data that emerged suggests another interesting aspect: the word “stress” often becomes a sort of large semantic container. For 79% of respondents (adding “sometimes”, “often” and “always”), this term it serves as a generic label to describe an undefined emotional overload. In other words, it stress is the name we end up giving to a tangle of emotions that you don’t have the time or tools to analyze individually.
The physical signals
How it comes perceived stress on a physical level? Based on the mini survey conducted by Unobravo, the prevalent response (36%) indicates one feeling of general malaise, difficult to isolate, almost a physical fog, an “indefinite mixture”. For others (29%) stress is felt as a sort of emptying, a feeling of profound tiredness and lack of energy, while some (27%) indicate the physical sign of stress localized muscle tension especially in critical points such as shoulders, jaw and neck, a sign of a “defensive” posture or excessive load. Only a minority (8%) warns breathing signals such as shortness of breath or breathlessness.
The causes: between work and “time hunger”
The causes of stress? From the open answers a main suspect emerges: the Work. It is the most cited word ever, described not only as a professional activity, but as an ecosystem of pressing deadlines, loads to manage but also ddifficulty of conciliation: stress explodes in an acrobatic attempt to bring work, family and personal life together. In this scenario, the real invisible enemy is the “time missing”. The feeling of being in constant pursuit transforms the management of daily life in a direct voltage source, where time for oneself seems to be the first to be sacrificed.
Stress: it has become normal
In short, stress is often something that is part of everyday life, something that ends up becoming “normal”. «The main risk is that stress can lose its signaling function and be perceived as a constant and inevitable stateuntil it becomes barely distinguishable from an equilibrium condition“, explains Corena Pezzella, psychotherapist and Clinical Manager of Unobravo. «When this happens, it may become more difficult to recognize signs of emotional and cognitive fatigue, with the consequence of postponing or underestimate one’s needs for recovery and listening. In some cases, this normalization can also lead to a reduced legitimation of subjective discomfort: the person tends to minimize what they feel, interpreting it as “normal”even when in reality it represents a significant burden.”
If being stressed means proving that you are productive
This often happens also because we live in a society that glorifies productivity in a certain sense. «In some cultural and work contexts, productivity tends to be a central evaluation parameter», confirms the psychotherapist. «This can favor one greater focus on performance and results, sometimes leaving the dimension of subjective well-being in the background. In this framework, stress can be more easily interpreted as a stable component of everyday experience, rather than as a signal to be carefully observed. When psychological well-being does not find an explicit space among individual and organizational priorities, the risk is that conditions of psycho-physical fatigue are gradually consolidated as part of the routine”.
Stress at work as an index of commitment
It’s mostly in working environment however, we tend to ‘normalize’ it: being stressed is often seen as a necessary condition to demonstrate that we are competent. «Showing a high level of involvement, even through signs of stress, can be interpreted as an indication of commitment or responsibility», confirms Corena Pezzella. «At the same time, Fra certain difficulty in openly expressing one’s emotional state may persist, especially when there is a fear that this could be misunderstood or evaluated negatively, leading some people to retain the discomfort, contributing to an overlap between effort and professional value”.
Stress: why distinguish it from other emotions
From the survey carried out by Unobravo on its community, it emerges that ‘stress’ has become a term used generically. What really distinguishes it from other emotions? «Stress can be defined as the body’s response to demands perceived as demanding or exceeding its resources. Unlike more specific emotions, it tends to function as a broad category that can include different states,” explains the expert. «In the absence of a more articulated emotional language, it can become a simplified way to describe experiences that are even very different from each other. Exploring what we mean when we talk about stress can help us better distinguish the underlying experiences and to understand them more precisely”.
Stress: the signs not to ignore
What are the signs that stress is exceeding a healthy threshold? «In some cases, stress can become more relevant when it tends to be maintained over time and to impact more areas of daily life”, underlines the psychotherapist. «It can manifest itself through greater irritability, difficulty concentrating, persistent fatigue but also with a reduction in interest in usually meaningful activities. The signs can be numerous: each person can in fact experience stress in a different way, with methods and intensity that vary based on personal history, context and available individual resources. Relationships can also be affected, as can the perception of personal effectiveness. When the discomfort becomes more significant or difficult to modulate, it can be it is useful to stop and observe what is happening”.
How to reverse the trend
If normalizing can be risky, trying to adopt strategies in everyday life that help manage stress before it becomes chronic can be saving. «The first step can be to develop a greater awareness of one’s internal states, learning to recognize and distinguish what one feels”suggests the expert. «In some cases, dedicating space to activities that promote psychophysical recovery can help maintain a more sustainable balance.” However, if stress tends to persist or intensify, psychological support can be invaluable, “to understand one’s experiences and develop more functional ways of managing daily demands”, concludes Corena Pezzella. «Even in work contexts, promoting greater attention to emotional well-being can be an important element to prevent conditions of prolonged fatigue.”