Know the causes of stress and how to spot the signs and symptoms and you will be better equipped to cope with what comes your way. Understanding stress types can help you identify the causes of your stress so that you can use stress symptoms to your advantage or can work on coping with them. The following includes some basic information about the different types of stress.
Ultimately, there are two major types of negative stress: chronic and acute stress. In both cases, stress is in response to something negative in one's life.
Acute Stress
Acute stress is intense in the moment but quickly abates. Acute stress comes about when one's life or routine is halted or interrupted. A great example of this would be a car accident that does not result in injury. The accident happens, causes stress and is soon over. This form of stress happens from time to time. If a person can confront how they are feeling, then it will not have long-term effects on a person's health.
Those who are more prone to acute stress - think type A personalities or people who are often called uptight - are said to experience episodic acute stress. These folks experience acute stress daily basis because they take on too much on in their lives or worry about things going wrong much of the time.
Chronic Stress
Chronic stress affects a person for a longer period of time and may be caused by multiple changes in one's life or by a circumstantial change to which one can't grow accustomed: a change in jobs, a move and the end of a relationship are all common reasons for such stress. People who have chronic stress do not feel as if relief from the stressors in their lives is possible. Long-term poverty and an abusive relationship can create or cause such stress.
 | Stress is inevitable. The physical effects of chronic stress differ among individuals as well as between the genders, however we're all at risk for developing stress-related illnesses if we don't take steps to reduce it. |
 | Signs of stress should serve as red flags for the stressed and their loved ones. What might seem like just a little pressure could lead to significant, health-altering changes. |
In part two of this series, I mentioned our upcoming family vacation. Well, we survived (thanks to many, many breathing exercises) and actually managed to create a few happy vacation memories. |
In India, ashwagandha has been used medicinally for more than 3,000 years. Ayurvedic medicine recommends it alone and in combination with other herbs for musculoskeletal conditions and as a tonic to increase energy, improve overall health and longevity, and prevent disease. |
Cortisol is a hormone present in your body as a reaction to stress of any kind. Cortisol levels are sometimes measured to determine how much stress you are experiencing. |
