Definition: Chronic stress is a state of ongoing physiological arousal. This occurs when the body experiences so many stressors that the autonomic nervous system rarely has a chance to activate the relaxation response. (We were built to handle acute stress, not chronic stress.) This type of chronic stress response occurs all too frequently from our modern lifestyle, when everything from high-pressured jobs to loneliness to busy traffic can keep the body in a state of perceived threat and chronic stress. In this case, our fight-or-flight response, which was designed to help us fight a few life-threatening situations spaced out over a long period (like being attacked by a bear every so often), can wear down our bodies and cause us to become ill, either physically or emotionally. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 90% of doctor’s visits are for conditions in which stress at least plays a role! That's why it's so important to learn stress management techniques and make healthy lifestyle changes to safeguard yourself from the negative impact of chronic stress.
If you find yourself experiencing chronic stress and would like more resources on stress management, you can sign up for this site's Stress Management Newsletter, or use this quick self assessment tool to find stress relievers that would work best for your personality and lifestyle.
