Pressure and Stress
The innate concern with results is quality while the necessary concern with obtaining the results is stress.
I see stress as a necessary evil for accomplishing anything. When you think of nature’s functional state, you see stress being implemented in countless ways. Why is stress so common? Well because pressure is common as well.
Where there is pressure, there is stress.
From atmospheric pressure creating stress, to our own body’s regulation of pumping blood, controlling body temperature, pressure on your eardrums creating sound, the turgor pressure of a plant, the pressure of gravity, the pressure of time, and the list goes on.
Pressure exists in physics in different forms as well as in biology and psychology.
Pressure is exerting externally why stress is develops internally.
Imagine pressing on a balloon from the outside. As you apply more force through your finger, the internal state of the ballon develops stress as it is fighting against the forced displacement. Stress resists pressure.
Being resistant by default, stress can be seen at many different areas in our lives. Whether that be an uncomfortable situation, a painful decision, a deadline, financial, relational, etc.
Stress is that resistance we feel. It may not feel obvious, but at the core of it, this is how your system is reacting.
To further explore stress, it only makes sense that we must further explore pressure as well since it is a precursor.
Under Pressure:
In physics, there are four types of pressure.
Absolute Pressure
Absolute pressure is defined as the pressure of having no matter inside a perfect vacuum of space. It ignores the reference to variable ambient pressure so isn’t influenced by atmospheric changes in pressure.
Gauge Pressure
Gauge pressure is defined as the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure. It is greatly influenced by changes in atmospheric pressure.
Differential Pressure
Differential pressure is the difference between two pressures.
Vacuum Pressure
The vacuum is defined as a space with no absolute pressure. A vacuum is generated when the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure.
Compound Pressure (Bonus)
A pressure reading composed of both positive and negative(vacuum) pressure.
Each type of pressure induces different types and/or degrees of stress.
I don’t want to get too caught up in the actual physics of pressure, but when I look at the diagram above, I can’t help but image those pressures being applied to me as a human.
Compound pressure feels like when we are running out of time and against an important deadline.
Vacuum pressure reminds me of when something is as ease and we can drift into it. The wind is to our backs.
Differential pressure makes me think of when entering a new scenario and adjusting to the new climate in the environment. Acclimating to different pressures; reading the room.
Gauge pressure is like social influence. How the room of people are acting and how that influences our behavior(as much as we may try to fight it).
Absolute pressure is simply the constant pressure of desire and need. Our dopaminergic drive that keeps us pushing forward. This pressure can also reduce when we are in a state of “rest and digest”.
My focus here is that these social, psychological, and environmental pressures all entail some fight. Some stress.
The stress put on our systems either emotionally, neurologically, financially, chemically, etc.
At first glance, they all seem like bad things that pressure brings into our lives. Stress in general has a bad stigma.
The Good Side of Stress:
As pressure can be both positive and negative, so can stress.
Let’s talk about the good side of stress.
When under pressure, the stress induced is what can help use grow and become stronger.
The stress created internally is what will help us adapt to the pressure.
A classic example of this is exercise. As we get our daily work out in, the stress our body feels whether from strength, aerobics, balance, coordination, or flexibility is internally created from the pressure of the weights, movement, machines, etc.
The stress created is what helps us obtain the desired results of endurance, strength, flexibility, etc. Only through straining our current state can we grow and change. The stress needed to do so naturally needs pressure.
Stress caused by pressure can help us achieve more by helping us focus or perform better. This is why some people procrastinate. The procrastination is an unconscious decision to increase the pressure so they are forced to do the last hard sprint right before the deadline. When the game is tied and the clock is running out, this is when pro athletes can enter a state of hyper focus and do the impossible. In sales you see this when a presenter or sales person doesn’t prep for a meeting. They ironically enjoy the pressure of having to perform on their feet, they oddly enjoy the challenge which pushes them into a state of higher performance.
Yes, stress is necessary. Yes, stress is inevitable. Yes, stress can be good.
The Bad Side of Stress:
Pressure can also burst pipes.
Pressure can cause too much stress that creates a physical injury, a panic attack, a foolish decision, or a knee jerk reaction. The bad side of too much stress can push a human too far. Where they will snap under the pressure. This isn’t good.
Stress can crush, fracture, tear, distort, and break.
Pressure being the amount of force applied then stress is the amount of force experienced.
This scientific definition always makes sense as humans. If stress is based on experience then it can be safe to assume that stress is subjective. Some humans will endure stress(the pressure) better than others.
This is why it’s good to really know thyself in the context of stress. There may be areas that you can help accommodate for your disposition or areas you may need to work on to increase your stress tolerance. Heck, you might like stress so much that you create unnecessary stressful situations. This can be unhealthy for you, your relationships, and your career in the long run.
Too much stress is relative to who you are. This means we need to know our own gauges in terms of reading the pressure. Knowing our breaking point is key for your life. Knowing when to come up for air or when to step away. Like all mechanical machines, there’s a pressure relief valve. Humans are similar.
Knowing when to release pressure and what your specific (healthy) valve is will help you endure stress.
A run, reading a book, music, video games, talking to a friend, prayer, work, etc. are some examples of healthy pressure relief valves.
Using Stress:
Since pressure is inevitable, so is stress.
Focusing on the positive outcomes from stress, we can envision how to best manage and leverage stress.
Determining what works best for you and your disposition when it comes to stress. I know for myself that exercise, prayer, reading, solitude, and therapy are ways I manage and use stress. By gaining control of the stress I can better apply its energy to focus/drive toward my goals.
The use of stress is part of life. Like we discussed earlier it can be a great tool for performance enhancement and overall growth.
We must also be weary of the eventual diminishing returns of stress when applied.
To keep this in mind as we leverage stress is that we may have an initial hit of stimuli, but as time and stress go on, there will be a point of diminishing returns. Your focus and stimulated state simply can’t last forever. Performance and quality will suffer because your system will need rest from the stimulation. The stress can be very straining and extremely exhausting.
Know thyself and know thy limits!
-Reilly
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