| Definition of Stress | In what way does modern life contribute to stress | Effects of stress on the human body |
Stress has two meanings: a person’s reaction to increasing external pressures and the external pressures themselves. In general, stimulation and arousal is necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. As the arousal increases the person’s performances increases until a limit known as the fatigue point is reached. Beyond this limit (which varies from person to person and also changes over time for each person) performance will decline as the stimulation increases, leading to exhaustion and ill health. Eventually a person will become so fatigued that even a small push can result in a breakdown.