{"id":18123,"date":"2026-04-08T11:15:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T11:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simpleonlinepharmacy.co.uk\/health-advice\/?p=18123"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:42:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:42:17","slug":"what-is-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simpleonlinepharmacy.co.uk\/health-advice\/stress\/what-is-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Stress? Causes, types and effects on your health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is stress?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stress is your body’s way of preparing you to handle pressure or danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your heart beats a little faster before a job interview. Your stomach tightens when an unexpected bill lands on the doormat. That is stress doing its job. The problem starts when the interview is over, but your body still feels like it is preparing for one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress is incredibly common. In a UK survey<\/a> of almost 5000 adults, 74% said they had felt overwhelmed or unable to cope with stress over the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NHS<\/a> defines stress simply: it is a reaction to mental or emotional pressure. Often, it comes down to feeling like things are slipping out of your control. And sometimes, there is no single obvious cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be a work deadline, a difficult conversation, or a sudden fright. Your brain signals your adrenal glands to release hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol <\/strong>(often called the stress hormone). Adrenaline speeds up your heart rate and raises your blood pressure. Cortisol floods your system with quick-access energy, allowing you to think and move faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may know this as the fight or flight response<\/strong>. It evolved to help us survive genuine physical danger, like fleeing a predator. Your body triggers the same response whether you are running late for work or worrying about your mortgage payments. And when that response keeps firing without genuine cause, things go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quick surge of stress before an exam or a job interview can sharpen your focus and help you perform. But when stress becomes constant, lasting weeks or months, it shifts from a useful alarm system to something that quietly damages your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acute stress reaction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Acute stress is the short, sharp kind. A near miss in traffic, an upcoming exam or an unexpected bill. Your body responds fast, flooding your system with adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart rate climbs, your muscles tense, and you feel alert, wired and ready to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is normal, and actually protective. The hormonal surge helps you think quickly and respond to whatever is in front of you. Once the situation passes, your body\u2019s built-in brakes (called the parasympathetic nervous system) kick in. Cortisol levels drop, your heart rate slows, and you return to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A traumatic event, such as a serious accident or an assault, can develop into an acute stress reaction<\/strong>. Symptoms can include flashbacks, numbness, or difficulty sleeping. If these symptoms persist beyond a few weeks, it is worth speaking to your GP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, though, occasional acute stress is a routine part of life. It comes, it goes, and it leaves no lasting damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is chronic stress?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chronic stress is the kind that does not switch off. Your body\u2019s built-in brakes never fully engage, so the stress hormones keep flowing for weeks or months. Ongoing financial worry, a difficult relationship, a demanding job, or long-term caregiving for a family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your body stays in this state for extended periods, cortisol levels remain high. Over time, this can affect almost every part of your body. According to Harvard Health<\/a>, chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure and fatty deposits in your arteries. It can also increase the risk of anxiety disorders and addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acute stress is your body doing exactly what it should, in short bursts. Chronic stress is your body doing too much of it, for too long. The symptoms overlap, but the health consequences of chronic stress are far more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How stress affects your body is often underestimated, and many people do not realise they have been feeling stressed for so long until the physical symptoms appear. Persistent headaches, disrupted sleep, digestive problems, or getting ill more often than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eustress<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eustress (from the Greek \u201ceu,\u201d meaning good) is the term psychologists use for positive stress, the kind that motivates rather than drains you. Stress researcher Hans Selye conceived the term in the early 1970s to capture the idea that not all stress works against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be starting a new job, training for a race, or planning a wedding. Your body still releases adrenaline and cortisol. The difference is in how you experience these responses to stress. When a challenge feels within your control, stress tends to sharpen your focus rather than drain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The APA Dictionary of Psychology<\/a> explains eustress as the positive stress response to challenging but attainable tasks. Eustress generates a sense of fulfilment and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress is not the problem. The goal is to reduce the chronic, uncontrolled kind and recognise when stress is actually working in your favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Causes of stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The factors that cause stress vary enormously between people. Stressful situations may barely register for one person but can feel overwhelming for another. It depends on their circumstances, support network, and previous experiences. But certain factors come up consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your circumstances<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Work pressure, job insecurity, or unemployment. Financial difficulties, such as unexpected bills or debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your relationships<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Conflict with a partner, separation, or divorce. Bereavement or caring for someone with a serious illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life changes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Moving house, having a baby, retirement, or a new health diagnosis. Even changes most people see as positive require adjustment, and the adjustment itself can be a source of stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1960s, researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a scale of stressful life events, now known as the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale. They assigned point values to common life events, from the death of a spouse (100 points) to minor legal issues (11 points). Results showed that the more points you accumulate in a single year, the higher your risk of becoming ill in the following two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scale has limits: it was developed mostly with male participants and does not account for cultural differences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply Psychology<\/a> suggests that everyday hassles, like a difficult commute or money worries, may predict stress-related health problems better than just major life events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress often builds from a combination of smaller, persistent pressures. Recognising your triggers is the first step towards learning to cope with stresses in your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress symptoms: physical, emotional and behavioural signs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stress symptoms present in ways you might not expect. Most people associate stress with feeling anxious or overwhelmed. But the physical and behavioural signs can be just as telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NHS<\/a> lists the following common signs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical signs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n