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Stress
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Mental Health Behavior

Stress

Stress is the body's natural response to challenges, but while short-term stress can be helpful, chronic stress can lead to serious health complications.

What is stress?

Stress is how your brain and body respond to a challenge or demand. When you are stressed, your body releases certain hormones—chemicals that travel in your bloodstream and control how different parts of your body work. These hormones make you alert and ready to act, raising your blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose levels. This response is sometimes called a "fight or flight" response.

Everyone gets stressed from time to time. Not all stress is bad; it can help you survive dangerous situations or push you to meet deadlines. However, stress that lasts a long time can harm your health.

What causes long-term stress?

Long-term stress, or chronic stress, lasts for weeks, months, or longer. Causes include:

  • Routine stress: Demands of work, school, family needs, money problems, and other daily pressures.
  • Stress from sudden, difficult changes: Events such as divorce, illness, losing your job, or other unhappy life events.
  • Traumatic stress: Occurs when you are in danger of serious harm or death, such as during a bad accident, war, or natural disaster. This can cause a long-lasting problem called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How can long-term stress harm my health?

If you are stressed for a long time, you may notice you are getting sick more often, having stomach problems, trouble sleeping, headaches, or feeling sad, angry, or easily upset. Chronic stress may play a part in developing serious health problems, including:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes

How can I manage long-term stress?

Simple habits can help manage stress:

  • Get regular exercise: A 30-minute daily walk can help keep your immune system strong.
  • Try relaxing activities: Use apps or programs for breathing, meditation, or muscle relaxation.
  • Get enough sleep every night.
  • Avoid too much caffeine.
  • Prioritize tasks: Decide what needs to be done now and what can wait. Focus on what you accomplished each day.
  • Ask for support: Reach out to family or friends.

When to seek help

Get help if you have severe symptoms for 2 weeks or more, such as trouble sleeping, changes in eating habits, difficulty getting out of bed, trouble focusing, losing interest in activities, or inability to perform daily tasks. Seek help immediately if stress causes thoughts of suicide, feelings of being unable to cope, or increased use of drugs or alcohol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, chronic stress is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular problems. When stress is constant, your body continuously releases cortisol and adrenaline, which raise your blood pressure and heart rate over time. This prolonged strain can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Managing stress is therefore a critical component of heart health, alongside diet and exercise.
Chronic stress is indicated when your body remains in a heightened state of alertness for weeks or months. Look for persistent physical signs such as frequent headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, or a weakened immune system leading to frequent colds. Emotional signs include constant irritability, anxiety, or feelings of being overwhelmed. If you find it difficult to relax even during downtime and your sleep quality has deteriorated, your stress has likely become chronic and requires active management.
For immediate relief, try the 4-7-8 breathing technique: inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body. Other quick methods include taking a short walk to change your environment, listening to calming music, or practicing a brief mindfulness exercise where you focus solely on your breath for two minutes.
Physical symptoms like muscle tension and headaches may improve within a few days to a week of consistent practice. However, deeper changes, such as improved sleep quality, reduced anxiety, and lower blood pressure, typically take several weeks to become noticeable. It is important to be patient and consistent, as the benefits of stress management accumulate over time rather than occurring instantly.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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