Based on an extensive body of occupational stress research

WorkingWell & Resource Systems : working together to make a difference
		introduction to managing pressure
main menu	Managing pressure starts with understanding the difference between pressure and stress. Stress is different from pressure but the two terms are often used as synonyms. This creates confusion and adds to the difficulty in understanding what happens when we are under pressure. Stress Stress has been described as one of the most inaccurate words in scientific literature. The basic problem is that the word stress is used to describe both the sources and the effects of the stress process. Stress is what happens to us when things go wrong. It is something we suffer from and has a negative quality. It has a physical, a psychological and an emotional component. However, stress is not inevitable. It is an outcome of a complex, interactive process and we can intervene at various steps of that process to avoid the stress outcome. Differentiating between pressure and stress makes it clear that stress is bad for us and pressure is the force that may produce stress. Pressure Pressure is inevitable. We cannot go through life without experiencing pressure and attempting to avoid pressure is not realistic. Pressure needs to be managed and, what is more important, it needs to be actively managed. Pressure is a neutral force. It can produce either good or bad outcomes, depending on an individual's adaptability and coping skills. Pressure can be the stimulus we need to enjoy our lives learn new skills, experience excitement and get things done. It can also be the force that causes depression and anxiety, makes us fail to complete projects, miss deadlines, break up relationships and become seriously ill. In other words pressure can either help to raise performance or it can cause stress. The same pressure can produce either of these responses and the way we react to pressure, combined with our adaptability, governs the outcome of the stress process.
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