What is Stress?

Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world. Common stress reactions include tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, and a variety of physical symptoms that include headache and a fast heartbeat.

Our physical bodies automatically respond to perceived threats (or "stressors") by activating our nervous system and increasing our levels of adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones then speed up our heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to allow more blood flow to muscles. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases stored glucose to increase energy. Sweat is produced to cool the body. These physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the "fight or flight" response of immediate physical danger.

Acute stress

Acute stress is short term stress caused by situations such as:

• fear (real or imagined)
• imagining or remembering a dangerous event
• immediate physical danger
• injury and/or infection
• loss of control of environment (smells, personal space, noise)
• loud or unexpected noise (which can trigger a stress response even during sleep)
• pain

Chronic stress

Chronic stress results from long-term psychological unhappiness or exposure to things such as:

• environmental exposure to toxins (including alcohol, tobacco)
• financial instability
• health or safety worries
• loss of loved-one (death, divorce, relocation, separation)
• nutritional deficiencies
• strife in personal or family relationships
• terminal illness

The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that two-thirds of visits to family doctors are for stress-related symptoms. That's 137 million visits every year.

Chronic exposure to stress leads to serious health problems, disrupting nearly every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

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