Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior.

Being able
to recognize common stress symptoms can give you a jump on managing them. Stress that's left
unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity
and diabetes.

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Common effects of stress on your body

Headache

Muscle tension or pain

Chest pain

Fatigue

Change in sex drive

Stomach upset

Sleep problems

Common effects of stress on your mood

Anxiety

Restlessness

Lack of motivation or focus

Feeling overwhelmed

Irritability or anger

Sadness or depression
Common effects of stress on your behavior

Overeating or undereating

Angry outbursts

Drug or alcohol abuse

Tobacco use

Social withdrawal

Exercising less often

e taking the Intellectual Abilities and Academic performance to be the dependent variable where as
stress is regarded to be an independent variable. The type of research is Quantitative whereas 100 is the
number of participants and our sample size that is to be included in the research. Research will be
conducted and based on the Master students in National University Lahore campus while the study will
be carried out on gender bases and the results will further be compared for understanding of any
difference or similarity between the effects of stress on different genders.

Our literature review will base academic performance, intellectual abilities, Stress, two identified
stressors and each dissected to an extent, and the impact of stress in academic elaboration in both
genders.

Effect of Stress on Academic Performance of Students – LITERATURE REVIEW:

Student’s academic learning and performances can be affected by many factors such as gender, age,
teaching staff, father/ family’s economic condition, family’s social status, total study hours, and
accommodation of them as hostelries or day scholars (Pritchard, 1996).

Many researchers have been done by scholars on finding the factors which contributes on student’s
academic performance and achievements at different educational levels. A study suggested that
student’s educational performance and achievement relies heavily on social status of parents and
guardians of them (Graetz; 1995). Research done by Considine and Zappala also found the similar results
that social status and family’s income is positively correlated with the student’s performance in
academia (Considine and Zappala; 2002). Some of the researchers found that previous academic
performance is also a factor affecting current academics of students. As found by a research,
performance of students in higher education level depends on the undergraduate level of studies
(Minnesota; 2007). Also found in another study, past educational performances of students is considered
to be an important indicator in finding the future achievements of them, as said that better the previous
academic performance; the better will be in the upcoming endeavors (Durden and Ellis; Staffolani and
Bratti; 2002).

Researches also indicated that employment is also one of the factors that effects academic achievement
of students. They resulted that it affects negatively on its performance as the more the number of hours
they work, they more they are distracted from academics. They mentioned that more working hours will
decrease the probability of being ‘A’ Grade student (Pritchard, 1996). According to other researchers, it is
not about doing the job which creates the problem in managing the work load of studies. It is about the
amount of work done as the students who work more spend less time on their studies and also pay less
attention during their classes (Steinberg & Dornbusch, 1991, p. 307).

We can resolute the student’s academic achievements by their performances in their institutions, their
activities and assignments done in classes, presentations they give and results of their exams (Ong,
Bessie, and Cheong, 2009). Research have been conduct in order to review the relationship among stress
and academic performance of students and it has been found that stress affects the academic
performances of students in great manner (Elliot et al., 2005; Choi, Abbott, Arthur & Hill, 2007). Students
complained about the stress they feel while giving their exams or any competition regarding grades or in
any case when they have so much to study and less time to do it. They say that it really affects on their
performance of work (Carveth, Gesse & Moss, 1996). One study reported that stress among
undergraduate business students is a notably important factor which is interrelated with poor
performance (Bennett, 2003). A research found that student’s attitude towards the learning of working
ethics is related to the academic performance and achievements (Conard, 2006; Jansen & Bruinsma,
2005).

It is also found, that confidence level of students in themselves in terms of academics and their
managerial abilities as how they manage their academic work load affects their academic performance
(achievement (Richardson, 2011; Yip, 2009). Students who are coming to colleges and universities for
only professional outcomes meaning to get the job, and earn good money will have totally different
thinking and approaches inside the classes and during their studies because they will be attending it for
their personal knowledge enhancement. There approach for the acquisition of education with so much
motivation dominantly affects their academic performance and achievement (Durik, Lovejoy, & Johnson,
2009). Additionally, family’s expectation can be a big factor that can affect the motivation level of
student on their academic performances and they must be considered as an important point as attitude
towards education (Mutsoto & Abenga, 2010).

Kinds of stress
Physical stress: trauma (injury, infection, surgery), intense physical labor/over-exertion, environmental
pollution (pesticides, herbicides, toxins, heavy metals, inadequate light, radiation, noise, electromagnetic
fields), illness (viral, bacterial, or fungal agents), fatigue, inadequate oxygen supply, hypoglycemia I(low
blood sugar), hormonal and/or biochemical imbalances, dietary stress (nutritional deficiencies, food
allergies and sensitivities, unhealthy eating habits), dehydration, substance abuse, dental challenges, and
musculoskeletal misalignments/imbalances.

Psychological stress: emotional stress (resentments, fears, frustration, sadness, anger,

grief/bereavement), cognitive stres (information overload, accelerated sense of time, worry, guilt,
shame, jealousy, resistance, attachments, self-criticism, self-loathing, unworkable perfectionism, anxiety,
panic attacks, not feeling like yourself, not feeling like things are real, and a sense of being out of
control/not being in control), and perceptual stress (beliefs, roles, stories, attitudes, world view).

Psychosocial stress: relationship/marriage difficulties (partner, siblings, children, family, employer, co-
workers, employer), lack of social support, lack of resources for adequate survival, loss of
employment/investments/savings, loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, home foreclosure, and isolation.

Psycho-spiritual stress: A crisis of values, meaning, and purpose; joyless striving (instead of productive,
satisfying, meaningful and fulfilling work; and a misalignment withn one’s core spiritual beliefs.

Overall, improperly or ineffectively managed stress usually takes a toll on the body. When stress-related
feelings, moods, emotions are pushed into the body, the soma, this is usually termed psychosomatic or
psychogenic illness, including headaches, heart palpitations, physical/cognitive/emotional pain and
suffering, constricted throat and shallow, constricted breathing, clammy palms, fatigue, nausea, anxiety,
allergies, asthma, autoimmune syndromes related to an ineffective functioning of the immune system,
hypertension (high blood pressure), and gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhea, upset stomach,
duodenal ulcers and esophageal reflux syndrome.

Prolonged stress can result in suppressed immune function, increased susceptibility to infectious and
immune-related diseases and cancer. Emotional stress can also result in hormonal imbalances (adrenal,
pituitary, thyroid, etcetera) that further interfere with healthy immune functioning.

(Adapted from Larry Trivieri, Jr, The Health Plus Letter, Vol. 2, No. 2, www.1healthyworld.com)
Cognitive: Anxious thoughts, fearful anticipation, poor concentration, difficulty with memory.

Emotional: Feelings of tension, irritability, restlessness, worries, inability to relax, depression.

Behavioral: Avoidance of tasks; sleep problems; difficulty in completing work assignments; fidgeting;
tremors; strained face; clenching fists; crying; changes in drinking, eating, or smoking behaviors.

Physiological: Stiff or tense muscles, grinding teeth, sweating, tension headaches, faint feelings, choking
feeling, difficulty in swallowing, stomachache, nausea, vomiting, loosening of bowels, constipation,
frequency and urgency of urination, loss of interest in sex, tiredness, shakiness or tremors, weight loss or
gain, awareness of heart beat.

Social: Some people in stressful times tend to seek out others to be with. Other people withdraw under
stress. Also, the quality of relationships can change when a person is under stress.