What is environmental stress?

Environmental stress is an anxiety response to sources of tension that are relatively continuously in the environment in which a person develops. Such factors range from the distribution of furniture and objects to the climate and the prevailing social relations.

The factors that generate environmental stress – potentially stressful – are called stressors. They are elements or situations that threaten the existence or well-being. In this case, the perception of each individual is more important than the potential danger implicit in these factors.

The important thing about environmental stress is that it causes discomfort sustained. This generates various physiological reactions that can cause structural changes in the brain, as science has verified. Therefore, it is a reality that should not be lost sight of.

Stress in general

There are various definitions of stress. One of the most general points out that it is a bodily reaction to a challenge or demand. It causes physical and emotional tension. The person feels or knows the need to make an adjustment, adaptation or action that may be unpleasant or that compromises his or her resources.

Faced with stress, each individual responds with behaviors that we can understand in three phases:

Alarm reaction. It arises when the demand or requirement is formulated. The body is put on alert.Resistance status. It corresponds to the tension experienced between the desire to do or not do something and the demand to carry it out.State of exhaustion. It appears when the body is no longer able to respond to the demand made of it.

In principle, stress as such is not negative. It allows you to offer a more energetic or vital response. However, when it remains for a long time it can have consequences that can sometimes be very serious. In environmental stress there are usually environmental factors that persist over time.

Models on environmental stress

There are various models to understand and address environmental stress.. These are theoretical perspectives in which each gives greater importance to one factor or another. Currently there are basically five such models:

Stimulation level model. It states that environmental stress occurs when there is an excess of stimuli (overload) or a lack thereof (sensory deprivation).Activation. A certain level of activation is needed to carry out a task. This model states that, if the required activation is very high, stress occurs.System models. These point out that environmental stress appears when the options offered by the environment are insufficient to satisfy needs or goals.Perceived control. This perspective establishes that stress is directly proportional to the perception of control that an individual has over the environment that surrounds them.Adaptation and coping. These models indicate that the level of stress is related to the adaptation capacity of each individual. The more adaptable, the less stress there will be.

Sources of environmental stress

As we already noted, the factors that generate environmental stress are called stressors. These can be individual and group, and are classified in various ways. According to the most conventional categorization, The main sources of environmental stress are the following:

Cataclysmic phenomena. They are sudden events, with a catastrophic tinge, that affect many people at the same time. They can be brief, like getting stuck somewhere; or prolonged, like being in jail.Seasons and weather conditions. The climate affects individuals in different intensities. In some cases it causes significant changes.Temperature. Studies indicate that on hotter days or times, aggression or hostility manifests itself. If the temperature exceeds a certain level, the effect is reversed.Atmospheric pressure. The data indicate that the lower the atmospheric pressure, the greater the incidence of depression.Air pollution. High levels of pollution condition outdoor activities and generate unpleasant sensory stimuli.Noise. Perhaps it is the stressor with the greatest impact on environmental stress. High-decibel sounds directly affect mental health. The same goes for annoying and repetitive noises, even if they are not as intense.Overcrowding. The excessive concentration of people in very small spaces can cause great stress. However, this depends a lot on individual perception.Layout of the physical environment. The characteristics of a construction and its furniture influence the feeling of demand that a person experiences.

All of these are factors that affect our stress levels. They provoke physical and behavioral responses. These are elements to consider when analyzing and addressing the discomfort that afflicts a person.

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