STRESS & THE BODY
PAGE 1 OF 5 — TWO KINDS OF STRESS
ACUTE VS CHRONIC
NOT ALL STRESS IS BAD!
Stress is your body's alarm system when you face a challenge or threat. Acute stress is short and sharp, like before a test or a big game. A little of it can actually help you focus and perform better. This idea is called the Yerkes-Dodson law: too little arousal and you feel bored, a moderate amount sharpens attention, but too much makes performance crash. Chronic stress is different. It keeps going for weeks, months, or years. That kind wears your body down and raises the risk of serious health problems over time.
⚡ DID YOU KNOW?
Psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dodson studied mice in 1908. They found that moderate stimulation led to the best learning, while very low or very high stress hurt performance.
ALERT!
SHORT-TERM
⚡ Acute stress is a brief burst that can wake up your brain and sharpen your focus.
🎯 A moderate level helps you react fast when the challenge truly matters.
🎯 A moderate level helps you react fast when the challenge truly matters.
LONG-TERM
😓 Chronic stress never switches off and keeps your body on high alert too long.
🏥 Over time it can raise the risk of heart problems, weak immunity, and burnout.
🏥 Over time it can raise the risk of heart problems, weak immunity, and burnout.