Stress

Stress is a natural psychological and physical response to life's challenges. When your brain detects a stressor, your body releases a surge of hormones to activate the fight-or-flight response. Once the stressor passes, your body returns to its normal state. In fact, a moderate amount of stress can motivate us to work harder and perform better in certain situations.

What is Stress?

Stress is a natural psychological and physical response to life's challenges. When your brain detects a stressor, your body releases a surge of hormones to activate the fight, flight, or freeze response. Once the stressor passes, your body returns to its normal state.But stress isn’t always the enemy. In fact, a moderate amount of stress is helpful and can motivate us to work harder and perform better in certain situations. 

Stress is defined in a myriad of ways. The American Institute of Stress uses this definition to describe mental/emotional stress: 

“A condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” 

The Institute reports that everyone understands, defines, and experiences “stress” differently, making it important to distinguish among the different types:  

  • Eustress: In some cases, you may experience eustress, or what most call “normal stress.” This stress can be helpful for coping with life’s typical challenges, such as life transitions, making tough decisions, and managing conflict.  
  • Distress/Acute/Chronic Stress: Acute stress (an immediate physiological reaction to a difficult experience) and chronic stress (the long-term daily exposure to an experience of stress) are harmful forms of stress and can contribute to negative impacts on our mind, body, and spirit. 

Signs of Stress

While stress impacts everyone differently, here are some common signs and symptoms of heightened stress. Common symptoms of stress include many everyday difficulties that affect your body, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, as outlined in this chart by the Mayo Clinic:

On your body                     

On your mind

On your behavior

  • Headache
  • Muscle tension or pain
  • Chest pain
  • Fatigue
  • Change in sex drive
  • Stomach upset
  • Sleep problems
  • Anxiety
  • Restlessness
  • Lack of motivation or focus
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Irritability or anger
  • Sadness or depression
  • Overeating or undereating
  • Angry outbursts
  • Drug or alcohol misuse
  • Tobacco use
  • Social withdrawal
  • Exercising less often

Stress Management Strategies

Stress is a normal part of life and a multitude of research suggests that we can get better at leveraging it for our benefit. College is a great time to develop and practice these mindsets and skills. 

Inviting stress to become your secret strength! 

If you’re a college student, you probably know stress well. Exams, deadlines, research, relationships, jobs, internships, all layered on top of trying to have a life. It can feel like stress is something to avoid—or survive. But what if stress wasn’t always a bad thing? 

According to Stanford health psychologist Dr. Kelly McGonigal, stress can actually be good for us if we change how we think about it. In her TED Talk, “How to Make Stress Your Friend", and her book The Upside of Stress, McGonigal explains that when people view stress as helpful—something that energizes them, focuses attention, and connects them to purpose—they actually perform better and feel better. 

It’s not just wishful thinking. Reframing stress has real benefits for health, resilience, and even relationships. 

Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist, a physician and Emory professor, explores this idea further in her book The Stress Paradox. She reminds us that some of the most meaningful experiences in life, like graduating, starting something new, parenting, and falling in love, are also stressful. Stress is often a sign that you care, that you’re growing, and that you’re doing something that matters. That doesn’t mean stress isn’t hard. It is. But instead of seeing it as a danger signal, we can learn to see it as a challenge—and even a resource. 

Making stress work for you! 

Here are a few tips to help reframe and leverage stress in your life:

Stress is information. Use it to check in: Do you need support? A break? A new strategy? Try shifting from “I’m not going to make it!” to “This is hard, but I’m rising to something important.” That mindset can change how your brain and body respond to stress.

Stress doesn’t have to isolate you. When you’re feeling the pressure, it’s okay and healthy to reach out to a classmate, mentor, or friend. Shared stress can deepen relationships.

Stress often shows up when something matters to you. Ask: “What value is behind this stress?” Whether it’s learning, achievement, helping others, or growth—naming the purpose can help it feel more meaningful.

Your stress response gives you energy, so use it! A short walk, dance break, or quick stretch can help reset your system and boost focus.

Mindfulness is not about getting away from stress. It is about getting your body in a state where you can effectively respond to it. Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean long meditations. Simply pausing to notice your breath,thoughts, emotions, or surroundings without judging them can help you respond to stress with more calmand clarity. Even 30 seconds of mindful presence is impactful.

Getting better at managing stress doesn’t mean never feeling anxious or overwhelmed. It means learning how to respond with more awareness and choice. This practice takes time and is rarely easy, but it’s not a sign you’re doing something wrong. Often, it’s a sign you’re doing something big. 

So next time your heart races or your stomach flips, take a breath and remember, you might be in the middle of something meaningful.  

Want to dive deeper into re-thinking stress? Check out these books
  • The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal 
  • The Stress Paradox by Sharon Horesh Bergquist