What is Chronic Stress?

To better understand chronic stress, it’s important to first take a look at stress in general. Stress is a normal human response to changes or challenges. It’s how our bodies react and adjust to anything that requires attention. A stressful situation that is perceived as something that will lead to a positive outcome is known as good stress or eustress. An example of eustress might be getting ready for your first day at a new job or the anticipation felt when buying a new home. Most people don’t spend much time thinking about the good stress in their lives because it’s often temporary and leads to a desirable outcome. The other form of stress, however, can cause negative physical and emotional responses that are both unpleasant and not good for your health.

There are two different types of bad stress — acute and chronic. Acute stress is a response to something that happens quickly and often unexpectedly. It also tends to be short-lived so you generally don’t have to deal with it for very long. Chronic stress, on the other hand, is something that’s constant and inescapable. Being in a bad marriage, having an unfulfilling and high-stress job, or living through a year-long global pandemic are just a few examples of situations that can keep your body in a constant state of activated stress.