You may have also heard it referred to as yourfight or flight response.
Some stress is normal and can even be helpful.
The stress response helps us be alert and ready to deal with the things we need to tackle.
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Once we deal with these acutestressors, our relaxation response kicks in, and we return to normal.
It becomes a problem, however, when we enter a state of chronic stress.
The stress response happens in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.
What Happens During the Stress Response?
Hormones such as corticotropin-releasing hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone are released.
When your stress response is triggered, a series of changes occur within your body.
They include:
Imagine a time when you’ve felt scared or nervous.
When you were dealing with something stressful or scary, you probably felt tense and on high alert.
That’s your body’s stress response at work.
The stress response has an important evolutionary basis.
It helped our ancestors, who faced numerous physical threats, to stay safe.
Today, our threats are less physical and more associated with our way of life.
Common stress response triggers can include challenges to our status or demands for performance.
These triggers can involve any situation where the demands involved may exceed our ability to cope.
Such effects can also be good or bad.
A little pressure can help us perform better.
Think of how athletes often do their best in a competition versus in practice.
But there also comes a point where too much stress makes it harder to do well.
Sometimes the effects of the stress response can make it more difficult to perform well in a stressful situation.
Chronic stress can have serious effects on your physical health and psychological well-being.
Knowing this can be helpful.
Remember that your own stress response hinges on your perceptions.
Remind yourself that the threat might not be as serious as it might feel.
That doesn’t stop us from feeling threatened.
We feel we may be hurt similarly, even if we aren’t in danger.
How to Manage Your Stress Response
Chronic stress is serious stuff.
There’s no single method that works best for everyone.
Think of it as your stress relief toolbox!
Having these tools can minimize the number of times your stress response is triggered unnecessarily throughout the day.
Shifting your perspective and learning toreframe situationsin a more realistic, positive way can help tame your stress response.
Building your personal resources can shift the balance of what triggers this response.
It helps you stay alert and able to respond to acute stress.
American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.
2019;(10):1562. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01562
National Institutes of Health.5 things you should know about stress.
2021;14(5):1234-1246.
American Psychological Association.Manage stress: strengthen your support data pipe.
