Coping with acute and chronic stress

STRESS is typically broken down into two categories: acute stress and chronic stress.

Acute stress is short-term stress; chronic stress is long-term stress. Examples of acute stress would be stress you suffer for a short period of time – like a traffic jam, an argument with your spouse, criticism from your boss or someone breaking into your house when you’re not there.

But if you’re a bus driver and are in numerous traffic jams daily, or argue with your spouse constantly, or work for a toxic boss, or live in a highcrime neighbourhood and break-ins are common, these examples of acute stress can turn into chronic stress.

The body is good at handling episodes of acute stress. That’s how many mental health experts define resilience: how quickly you recover from an episode of acute stress. Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate and muscle tension may skyrocket for a short while.

When young and/or healthy, these markers of stress quickly return to normal.

The body isn’t so good at handling chronic stress. Over time, chronic stress increases your resting heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and muscle tension so the body now has to work harder to keep you functioning normally.

Chronic stress creates a new normal inside your body which can lead to health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain and depression.

If you’re dealing with chronic stress, try improving your coping skills with exercise, meditation, yoga or a relaxation technique like deep breathing. – The New York Times