The Secrets of Stress

Definition and Types of Stress

Stress is your body's response to any demand or challenge, often referred to as a stressor. A stressor can be either external, i.e., relationship issues, deadlines, bullying, or internal, i.e., negative self-talk, excessive worrying, perfectionism. Stress can be either acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term).

Benefits of Short-Term Stress

Short term stress is necessary for survival and if handled the right way can be extremely beneficial. If your body didn’t stress itself during a test, you would feel a lack of energy and mental clarity. Stress pushes your body into overdrive, a good thing when you need that extra boost. A study done by Schwabe and colleges in 2012 indicated that the short-term release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can temporarily enhance brain function. In this experiment, the group subject to stress, through completing the task in front of an audience, showed better attention and focus, working memory, and problem solving.

Effects and Management of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is prolonged state of arousal resulting from persistent exposure of stressors and can have detrimental effects on a person’s well-being. A 2010 meta-analysis done by Liu and others investigated the relationship between long-term stress and risk for depression and anxiety related disorders. Liu and colleges stress the bidirectional relationship between chronic stress and depression, one causing the other. They further elaborate that it is imperative that if you want to avoid depression to keep your stress at bay. Ways to avoid chronic stress include but are not limited to: mitigating stressors, relaxation techniques, coping strategies, healthy relationships.

Citations:

Schwabe, L., Joëls, M., Roozendaal, B., Wolf, O. T., & Oitzl, M. S. (2012). Stress effects on memory: An update and integration. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(7), 1740-1749.

Liu RT, Alloy LB. Stress generation in depression: A systematic review of the empirical literature and recommendations for future study. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Jul;30(5):582-93. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.010. Epub 2010 May 15. PMID: 20478648; PMCID: PMC3049314.

Definition and Types of Stress

Stress is your body's response to any demand or challenge, often referred to as a stressor. A stressor can be either external, i.e., relationship issues, deadlines, bullying, or internal, i.e., negative self-talk, excessive worrying, perfectionism. Stress can be either acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term).

Benefits of Short-Term Stress

Short term stress is necessary for survival and if handled the right way can be extremely beneficial. If your body didn’t stress itself during a test, you would feel a lack of energy and mental clarity. Stress pushes your body into overdrive, a good thing when you need that extra boost. A study done by Schwabe and colleges in 2012 indicated that the short-term release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can temporarily enhance brain function. In this experiment, the group subject to stress, through completing the task in front of an audience, showed better attention and focus, working memory, and problem solving.

Effects and Management of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is prolonged state of arousal resulting from persistent exposure of stressors and can have detrimental effects on a person’s well-being. A 2010 meta-analysis done by Liu and others investigated the relationship between long-term stress and risk for depression and anxiety related disorders. Liu and colleges stress the bidirectional relationship between chronic stress and depression, one causing the other. They further elaborate that it is imperative that if you want to avoid depression to keep your stress at bay. Ways to avoid chronic stress include but are not limited to: mitigating stressors, relaxation techniques, coping strategies, healthy relationships.

Citations

Schwabe, L., Joëls, M., Roozendaal, B., Wolf, O. T., & Oitzl, M. S. (2012). Stress effects on memory: An update and integration. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(7), 1740-1749.

Liu RT, Alloy LB. Stress generation in depression: A systematic review of the empirical literature and recommendations for future study. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Jul;30(5):582-93. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.010. Epub 2010 May 15. PMID: 20478648; PMCID: PMC3049314.