Stress Definitions 101: Glossary of Terms to Know

Learn about key terms related to stress, from stressors to coping mechanisms. Understand the impact of acute vs. chronic stress on your health and wellbeing.
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When learning about stress, it’s beneficial to know about various relevant terms to help understand the topic thoroughly. Here are some key terms and their definitions that you might find useful:

  • Stress: A physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stress can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.
  • Stressor: Any event or situation that triggers stress. Stressors can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure).
  • Acute Stress: Short-term stress that goes away quickly. It helps you manage dangerous situations. It also occurs when you do something new or exciting.
  • Chronic Stress: Long-term stress that occurs for a prolonged period. It can have a negative impact on your health if it goes untreated.
  • Eustress: Positive stress which has a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.
  • Distress: Negative stress that can cause anxiety or concern and can be short or long-term. It is often perceived as outside of our coping abilities.
  • Stress Management: Techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person’s levels of stress, especially chronic stress, usually to improve everyday functioning.
  • Coping Mechanisms: Strategies or behaviors that individuals use to manage the stressors in their lives and the emotions associated with them. Coping mechanisms can be healthy or unhealthy.
  • Burnout: A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.
  • Resilience: The ability of a person to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. It’s often referred to as the ability to “bounce back” from adverse situations.
  • Adrenaline: A hormone released into the body in response to stress or fear, often referred to as the “fight or flight” hormone. It prepares the body to respond to a threat.
  • Cortisol: A steroid hormone, often called the “stress hormone,” produced by the adrenal glands. It regulates a wide range of processes throughout the body, including metabolism and the immune response, and has a very important role in helping the body respond to stress.
Alex Reijnierse
Alex Reijnierse

Alex Reijnierse is a stress management expert with over a decade of experience in helping individuals effectively manage and reduce stress. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) and has a background in high-pressure environments, which has given him firsthand experience in dealing with chronic stress.

The articles on this website are fact-checked, with sources cited where relevant. They also reflect personal experiences in dealing with the effects of stress and its management.