Stress is a physiological reaction triggered by the perception of a threat or major life change.
Stress can be understood as the body’s response to big life events and perceived threats or danger. There are various types of stress, a wide range of symptoms, and numerous resulting impacts on productivity, health, and happiness to be aware of.
Luckily, treatments for stress can help prevent or undo the damage.
Stress is a physiological reaction triggered by the perception of a threat or major life change. Your body and brain are wired to respond to external stressors by becoming more alert and ready to react to the threat as a survival mechanism in dangerous situations — this reaction is also known as the stress response.
Stress is a normal part of life, and when the stress is manageable and relatively brief, it contributes to healthy functioning. We need challenges to keep us on our toes. Whether because of work, finances, personal relationships, or family dynamics, everyone deals with stress and its effects from time to time.
But over time, the emotional and physical effects of long-term stress can interfere with daily life and negatively impact your health, leading to a variety of symptoms.
We’ll break down the different types of stress, explain what causes them, and offer strategies to manage and treat the symptoms of stress.
There are a few types of stress, including:
Acute stress
Episodic acute stress
Chronic stress
Here’s what to know.
Acute stress refers to short bursts of stress triggered by external factors — or “stressors” — that go away once the stressor is removed. These reactions are normal responses to stressful situations and part of how your body protects you from danger.
Acute stress happens in situations such as getting into a fight, having an accident, or trying something new. It typically comes and goes quickly. This kind of stress can sometimes be healthy for the brain. It can help you think in more flexible ways, broadening your perspective on life. It can also help you become more resilient, through a process known as “stress inoculation.” It’s like getting a vaccine to educate your immune system and help your body fight off a virus.
Episodic acute stress means you frequently experience intense stress. Someone with episodic stress might often feel panicked and under pressure due to recurring situations, like frequent arguments with a partner or constant work deadlines.
Though feeling stress might happen frequently, it isn’t a constant feeling with episodic acute stress.
Chronic stress is a condition where someone experiences stress regularly, repeatedly, and continuously. It could be because of specific issues, a number of problems, or seemingly no clear cause.
Unlike acute stress, which is triggered by immediate issues, chronic stress often stems from lingering factors, like past experiences.
According to the American Psychological Association, a single stressful event can sometimes lead to chronic stress in which you remain in a stressed state even after the stressful event has passed.
When stress is chronic, it keeps you in a constant state of alertness and readiness to fight or flee, effectively placing you in “survival mode” all the time. As a result, every challenge or difficulty can trigger a fight or flight response, leading to significant negative effects on your overall health and well-being.
Stress can show up in many ways, affecting you physically and psychologically.
The “fight-or-flight response” is the body’s automatic reaction to stressful situations. It’s triggered by the nervous system and helps you prepare for immediate action.
During this response, your body gets ready to either confront the perceived threat or escape from it. Besides “fight” or “flight,” a “freeze” response may occur as a coping or survival mechanism.
So, what’s actually happening in the body during fight-or-flight (or-freeze)? There are a few things going on:
Your body is releasing hormones that impact your bodily functions.
Your nervous system is activated, which prepares your body for physical action.
Under stress, the body activates a complex cascade of hormonal and neurological processes to prepare for action.
Specifically, the hormones cortisol, epinephrine (also known as adrenaline), and noradrenaline are released into your blood. This increases your heart rate and blood pressure while mobilizing glucose (blood sugar) stores to give you a surge of energy.
In simple terms, these hormones help you handle the perceived threat by:
Making you more alert
Raising your heart rate
Speeding up your breathing
Sharpening your senses
Enhancing your awareness
Providing a burst of energy
Diverting blood away from your digestive system to deliver more oxygen to your muscles
In the short term, these reactions are good because your body is protecting you.
But if the stress response is activated frequently or becomes chronic, it can lead to various health issues.
Symptoms and signs of stress vary from person to person. Not everyone experiences stress the same way, and acute and chronic stress symptoms can differ too.
Also, the symptoms of stress in women might be different from the signs in men — but not always.
In terms of mental health, symptoms of stress may manifest as:
Anxiety and rumination (dwelling on negative thoughts)
Inability to concentrate, irritability, and frustration
Depression and sadness
Burnout and exhaustion
Changes in eating and appetite
Compulsive behaviors like sex, shopping, or gambling
Increased use of drugs, smoking, or drinking
Increased risk-taking behavior
So, what does stress do to the body? In other words, what are the physical symptoms of ongoing stress?
Physical symptoms of stress may include:
Insomnia and other sleep issues
Muscle tension, jaw clenching, or shaking
Chest pain or tightness
Intimacy and arousal issues
A weakened immune system
Unexplained aches and pains
Headaches (like tension headaches)
Dizziness
Elevated blood pressure or racing heart
Digestive problems, like nausea, diarrhea, or constipation
Can stress cause weight loss? The short answer is yes, but it can also cause weight gain. Everyone’s reaction to stress is different — it can impact both metabolic function and appetite, both of which play a role in weight.
Other potential stress symptoms in women to look out for include:
An irregular period cycle or missed periods
More severe PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
Fertility issues
Have you wondered, Does stress cause hair loss? The answer is yes, hair loss due to stress is also a possibility. In fact, stress is one of the leading causes of hair loss in women.
Does stress cause back pain? It might! Our guide explores back pain causes and symptoms.
Elevated levels of cortisol and chronic stress increase your risk of physical health problems.
Since a stress response can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, chronic stress can lead to long-term cardiovascular problems such as:
Heart attack
Stroke
Cardiovascular disease
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Some research involving triggering stress in a laboratory setting shows that women are not only more likely to develop mental health conditions from chronic stress, but they also experience less blood flow to the heart during acute stress, which may increase their risk of stress-related heart disease. This increased risk compared to men was only found among women below the age of 50. After that, the risk was about the same.
The hormones your body releases when you’re stressed can also negatively impact your immune system. If you’re under constant stress, it can lead to:
Diabetes
Obesity
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Ulcerative colitis (long-term inflammatory bowel disease)
Immune disorders
If your stress feels unmanageable or like it’s affecting your overall health, reach out to a healthcare professional for guidance and treatment options.
The physiological response and release of hormones in the body result in the emotional or physical tension we know as stress. But what triggers this stress?
Stress is often caused by life events, changes, and pressures. Remember, positive changes, such as having a baby, getting married, or moving to a new home, can sometimes produce as much emotional stress as negative ones. The size of the change may be the most important factor.
While the causes of short-term and chronic emotional stress can be similar, they’re not always identical. Possible sources of stress include:
Financial issues, like having debt or a low income
Family and relationship problems such as breakups, divorces, or arguments
Chronic health problems, pain, and serious illnesses or undergoing surgery
Work-related problems or pressures, like starting a new job, getting laid off, or working long hours with many urgent deadlines
School-related pressure, such as exams or getting into college
Living through a natural disaster
The death of a loved one
These are just examples. Many events, life circumstances, health issues, and other factors can contribute to stress.
One review looked at risk factors among university students. It found that the following factors increase a person’s chances of experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression:
Low self-esteem and little self-confidence
An underlying mental health condition
Personality type (high neuroticism and low extraversion)
Feeling lonely
Fear of poor performance and workload pressure
Lack of regular physical activity
Using drugs, drinking alcohol, and smoking tobacco
Not getting enough sleep
Lack of an emotional support system
Not being involved in the community or activities
Being part of a racial or religious minority group
Not having financial support, having a low family income, or experiencing childhood poverty
Other research shows similar patterns in non-university settings.
For instance, one study found that people who had substantial work stress were more likely to also have symptoms of depression and anxiety than those with lower levels of job-related stress.
By being aware of the signs of emotional stress and working to treat them, you can avoid developing chronic stress. Fortunately, no matter what emotional stress symptoms you’re experiencing, there are ways to treat both short-term and chronic stress.
Chronic stress isn’t specifically listed as a diagnosable condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5).
However, a mental health professional might use the DSM-5 to identify related conditions that could be influenced by chronic stress, such as:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Adjustment disorder
Substance abuse
Depression
An anxiety disorder
Similarly, a primary healthcare provider may order tests to diagnose stress-related symptoms and complications, such as high blood pressure (hypertension).
Many people try to function normally despite experiencing high levels of stress. They might go to work while feeling exhausted from sleepless nights of anxiety and may hide their symptoms well.
Nevertheless, seeking treatment and developing coping strategies to manage stress is crucial for maintaining overall well-being.
According to the American Institute of Stress, there are many stress-reducing techniques and healthy ways to cope. Finding the right one for you is vital.
Some of the best ways to manage and prevent stress include:
Mindfulness techniques
Relaxation methods
Exercise
Therapy
Medication
Get details below.
One study found that six weeks of mindfulness-based therapy (a form of meditation) led to reduced stress levels, anxiety, and depression.
Doing a guided meditation can help you become more aware of your thoughts and physical sensations. Mindfulness can also teach you how to respond more effectively to these symptoms and sensations by increasing your awareness of them.
Even if you can only spare a few minutes, dedicating time each day to unwind or take a pause can help you manage emotional stress.
Many things can activate your “relaxation response,” which counteracts the natural stress response by lowering blood pressure, reducing heart rate, and slowing breathing.
You can activate your relaxation response by doing a body scan, focusing on your breath for a few minutes with deep-breathing techniques, or doing yoga, for example. You can also treat yourself to something that helps you relax, like a massage.
Beyond its many physical benefits, exercise can help alleviate emotional distress.
Physical activity reduces stress hormone levels and increases the production of endorphins, mood-boosting neurotransmitters.
Regular exercise can also enhance cognitive function, alertness, and concentration while preventing fatigue — all of which can be impacted by emotional stress.
Any form of movement can help reduce stress, so choose an exercise you enjoy. Even a brisk 20-minute walk can make a difference.
Emotional stress can sometimes be connected to an anxiety disorder, which has similar symptoms of tension, excessive worry, pain, and sleep problems.
Some types of psychotherapy can help shift your mindset to process your emotions and build healthier habits. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is well-studied for treating stress and anxiety.
Other things like family or interpersonal therapy, support groups, and career coaching could also help address those stressors head-on and provide comfort.
A mental health professional may prescribe medications for anxiety disorders related to stress. It’s essential to find a healthcare provider you trust — together, you can devise a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Many of the above treatment options might help prevent stress or at least prevent it from getting worse. These include:
Mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Regular exercise
Therapy and medication
Becoming more aware of your stressors and how stress impacts you can also help you navigate and prevent them better. You may not be able to avoid it altogether, but identifying when your stress reaction might be activated can help you take preventative measures.
Managing stress and treating the symptoms is important for your long-term physical and mental health.
So, how do you know when to get help? When stress:
Interferes with daily life
Makes you avoid doing certain things that are necessary
Is persistent and omnipresent
Impacts other family members or loved ones
If you’re interested in anxiety medication as part of your stress-management plan, you can start by doing a free online assessment on our psychiatry platform.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.