What is stress?

When you perceive something as a threat to you, your body activates part of your autonomic nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system which sends hormones through your body. These hormones cause various changes that you can notice – all of these changes are called the fight or flight response.

Image explains the fight or flight response. Brain perceives the threat, in the hypothalamas signals are sent to the pituitary gland, which then communicates with other endocrine glands to release adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol. This causes increase in heart rate, dilated pupils, bladder relaxation, flushed face, shaking, dry mouth, slowed digestion.
From Wikimedia Foundation

Stress can be good (known as eustress) or bad (distress). Eustress often comes from events or situations that are challenging, like going to college, getting a new job, or a new baby, but that ultimately lead to growth and success. Distress is caused by things like losing a loved one, losing a job, breaking up with a partner, and other difficult situations. Stress from these events can lead to negative health outcomes.

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Stress can affect how you feel, physically and emotionally.

Image showing health problems arising from stress. Brain and nerves: headaches, feelings of despair, lack of energy, sadness, nervousness, increased or decreased eating, trouble concentrating, memory problems, trouble sleeping, mental health problems. Skin: acne and other skin problems. Muscles and joints: muscles aches and tension, increased risk of bone density reduction. Heart: faster heart beat, rise in blood pressure, increased cholesterol, increased risk of heart attack. Stomach: nausea, stomach pain, heartburn, weight gain. Pancreas: risk of diabetes. Intestines: diarrhea, constipation, other digestive problems. Reproductive system: in women - irregular or more painful periods and reduced sexual desire, in men - lower sperm production, reduced sexual desire. Immune system: lower ability to fight or recover from illness.
From Wikimedia Foundation

There are different kinds of stress: acute, episodic acute, and chronic – https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-kinds.

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