What is Stress?
The Health & Safety Executive defines stress as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them’. This makes an important distinction between ‘pressure’ and ‘stress’.
Difference between ‘Stress’ and ‘Pressure’
Pressure can be a positive state, but only if managed correctly. There are benefits to a reasonable amount of pressure, such as stimulation and motivation.
Whereas work-related stress is the natural but distressing reaction to the demands or pressures of work. Where an individual perceived that they cannot cope with these pressures. Stress is not a disease or a diagnosable illness. However, exposure to excessive amounts of pressure can be detrimental to a person’s health, both physical and mental.
Controlling Stress at Work
Evidence-based methods of Controlling and Preventative Management of Stress are improving the quality of the prevention of ill-health caused by work. These methods enable practitioners to give more sound advice.
The techniques of both data appraisal, systematic review, and meta-analysis, and their application to clinical and preventative medicine through clinical guidelines and economic analyses are well established.