What Is Stress?
Stress is a natural response to the demands, pressures, and changes we experience in everyday life. In small amounts, stress can help us stay focused, motivated, and prepared to respond to challenges.
When stress becomes frequent, intense, or difficult to manage, however, it can begin to affect your emotional well-being, physical health, relationships, sleep, work, and daily life. This Stress Management Resource Center is designed to help you better understand stress, recognize how it may be affecting you, explore practical stress management techniques, and learn how counseling—including animal-assisted therapy—may support greater balance and emotional wellness.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Stress
Stress can affect your emotions, thoughts, body, and behavior. While everyone experiences stress differently, ongoing or overwhelming stress may show up in several areas of daily life.
❤️ Emotional Symptoms
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Irritability or frustration
- Feeling emotionally drained
- Difficulty feeling calm
- Mood changes
🧠 Cognitive Symptoms
- Difficulty concentrating
- Racing or scattered thoughts
- Forgetfulness
- Difficulty making decisions
- Constantly thinking about responsibilities
💪 Physical Symptoms
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Fatigue or low energy
- Changes in sleep
- Digestive discomfort
🚶 Behavioral Symptoms
- Procrastinating or avoiding responsibilities
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Withdrawing from others
- Difficulty relaxing or slowing down
- Becoming less patient with others
Common Types of Stress
Stress can develop from many different experiences and may be short-term, recurring, or ongoing. Understanding the different ways stress can show up can help you recognize what may be contributing to your own stress and identify strategies that can help you manage it more effectively.
⚡ Acute Stress
Acute stress is a short-term response to an immediate challenge or demand, such as a deadline, difficult conversation, unexpected event, or busy day. It typically eases once the stressful situation has passed.