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Stress is closely related to anxiety. Stress is an adverse reaction to educational, social or work demands (real and imagined), and anxiety is a feeling of dread or panic. Stress and anxiety are normal human emotions and can help us respond appropriately in stressful situations (those requiring flight or fight). Many of us manage to adapt to very high levels of anxiety and stress, but we only tend to notice these emotions when they occur in excess or when we compare our responses unfavourably with the stress management of others. It is important to note that what causes stress for one person might be pleasurable for another, for example, flying or public speaking. 

Stress and anxiety are subjective and experience-related, these feelings come and go in the normal flow of life events; however, for some they are a feature of their disability.  For others, stress and anxiety can be caused by the difficulties they face in certain tasks which are a direct result of their disability, for example, someone with dyslexia who has to complete a written report at short notice. If stress and anxiety are severe or are endemic and on-going in a situation, they are can  lead to physical symptoms, loss of concentration, avoidance behaviour, sleep disturbance, depression and interpersonal conflict.  

Anxiety is considered to be significant if it:

• appears when there is no stressful situation;
• is out of proportion to stress in the situation;
• persists when the stressful situation has gone.

Anxiety and stress can take different forms and expressions, including:

• General anxiety (as a background to everyday life);
• Worry (continually thinking over a problem beyond what is needed to solve it);
• Specific anxiety (anxiety over a certain situation – e.g. exams, social encounters, etc);
• Phobia (an excessive fear of a particular situation or item leading to avoidance);
• Hypochondria (an anxiety about suffering illness);
• Panic attacks (a sudden uncontrollable triggering of physical anxiety symptoms).

These forms can be chronic (i.e. be in the background and have a long history) or can be acute (i.e. be sharp and in the present), or they could combine elements of both.


Potentially stressful situations

• new experiences
• participating in group work
• examinations
• meeting deadlines
• interviews
• starting work placements/starting work
• giving oral presentations

Although most people depend on being able to manage stress in the following employability skills, this does not mean that people who have difficulty in managing stress cannot possess these skills; rather, they may need reasonable adjustments to practice to enable them to develop or evidence the skills. 

Please click on the links below for a generic description of each employability skill that may be affected by limited ability to manage stress.

• Time Management
  
• Work Under Pressure
  

Click below to read about the possible effects of limited ability to manage stress on the specified skills as well as adjustments to practice/inclusive strategies.

• Managing Stress and Time Management
  
• Managing Stress and Working under Pressure