The Human Stress Response and "stressors" Stress is something that affects all living organisms and is an age-old factor of survival and life. Most people view stress as bad for health, yet it can also have a very positive impact on health. The human stress response has proven to be a highly effective survival strategy and one which has existed for as long as humans have walked the earth. The human reaction to stress or a “stressor” has barely changed for as long as we have existed, though times certainly have. Any form of perceived “stressor” can lead to the initiation of a stress response, and a threat does not have to be life-threatening. In modern-day life, the majority of people will probably never encounter a life-threatening situation. Yet, the physical and psychological impacts of stress in the modern world are clear to see. Part one of the full article on Stress, the Individual, Wellbeing, Performance and the Workplace (1 of 3) delves into what happens physio...