Stress

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to demands perceived as challenging or threatening. It involves coordinated changes in attention, emotion, hormones, and bodily activity.

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis: A hormonal signaling system linking the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. It sustains hormonal responses to stress through the release of cortisol.
Cognitive appraisal: The evaluation of an event's significance and the resources available to respond. A demand becomes stressful partly through judgments of threat and coping ability.
Stress management: Methods for reducing stressors or changing responses to them. These methods aim to lower distress and improve functioning under demands.
Immune system: The body's interacting cells, tissues, and processes that defend against infection and disease. Prolonged stress can alter immune regulation and inflammatory activity.
Sympathetic nervous system: The autonomic nervous system branch that mobilizes the body for rapid action. Its activation raises heart rate and redirects energy during acute stress.
Stressor: An event or condition that can provoke a stress response. Stressors are the demands whose perceived challenge or threat initiates stress.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: A psychotherapy that targets patterns of thought and behavior linked to distress. It can help change appraisals and coping behaviors that sustain stress.
Sleep: A recurring state of reduced responsiveness that supports restoration and brain function. Stress can disrupt sleep, while poor sleep can make demands harder to manage.
Cortisol: A steroid hormone that regulates metabolism, immune activity, and responses to stress. This hormone helps maintain energy availability during prolonged demands.
Coping: Thoughts and actions used to manage demands and their emotional effects. Coping shapes whether a stressful demand feels manageable and how its effects unfold.

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