What is Stress? How Does It Affect the Body?

Stress is a natural biological response that occurs when the body perceives a challenge or threat. Understanding what stress is helps explain how it affects your body, mind and overall health.

What is Stress and Understanding Causes and Effect

Stress is a fact of nature in which forces from the inside or outside world affect the individual. The individual responds to stress in ways that affect the individual, as well as their environment. Due to the overabundance of stress in our modern lives, we usually think of stress as a negative experience, but from a biological point of view, stress can be a neutral, negative, or positive experience.

In general, stress is related to both external and internal factors. External factors include the physical environment, including your job, your relationships with others, your home, and all the situations, challenges, difficulties, and expectations you’re confronted with on a daily basis. Internal factors determine your body’s ability to respond to, and deal with, the external stress-inducing factors. Internal factors which influence your ability to handle stress include your nutritional status, overall health and fitness levels, emotional well-being, and the amount of sleep and rest you get.

Good Stress and Bad Stress

The stress response (also called the fight or flight response) is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure’s on but there’s no actual danger — like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed.

But stress doesn’t always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly. Ongoing or long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too. Understanding what stress is can help you recognise early symptoms and prevent long-term health effects. 

Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that’s hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body’s reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body’s immune system, and cause other problems.

To understand what stress is, it is important to recognise both physical and emotional triggers.

KIDS HAVE STRESS TOO!

Even the most nurturing home and school environment includes a range of stressors that can both challenge and motivate children. While stress is a necessary part of development and learning, it’s clear that Australian families now face more stress than ever before.

Why focus on children’s stress?   -Because too much stress

•  makes it more difficult for children to get along with others
• interferes with children’s ability to focus, think and ultimately learn
• has a profound effect on children’s physical, emotional and mental health 

By helping children learn positive coping strategies to deal with stress, you can help build their resiliency and prevent stress from escalating to distress, anxiety and meltdowns.

What Causes Stress?

• Work pressure

• Emotional stress

• Poor sleep

• Health issues

• Health issues

Learning what stress is and how it impacts the body is the first step toward better health.

If you are experiencing chronic stress, anxiety or sleep issues, read more about our stress, anxiety and insomnia treatment here.

According to the Australian Psychological Society, stress is one of the most common health concerns affecting adults.  Read more…

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes stress?
Stress can be triggered by work, relationships, financial pressure, health issues, or lifestyle factors.

Can stress be good?
Yes, short-term stress can improve focus and performance.

When does stress become harmful?
When it becomes chronic and affects sleep, mood, and physical health.