Stress & Relaxation Response

Vocabulary

1. FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE— A physiological reaction that occurs when stress is perceived to be excessive or threatening
2. HYPERAROUSAL OR ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE — Other names for Fight or Flight Response
3. RELAXATION RESPONSE — A physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional response to stress; the opposite of the Fight or Flight Response

Sympathetic Nervous System Activation

When experiencing stress, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. When stress is perceived to be excessive or threatening, a physiological reaction called the Fight or Flight Response (also called “hyperarousal” or “the acute stress response”) occurs.

• When we experience stress, the sympathetic nervous system moves us from a state of balance to a state of preparation for action.
• The stress response includes an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and elevation of cortisol and other stress hormones.
• Positive challenges such as creating art or participating in a competitive athletic event, for example, may invoke the stress response without causing the Fight or Flight Response. (See more below.)

STRESSORS ARE EXTERNAL, INTERNAL, NEGATIVE, POSITIVE

Stressors are external or internal events that stimulate your nervous system. So if you think about it, any kind of significant change in your life is a stressor. While we tend to think of stressors being negative changes… stressors include many types of positive changes, such as getting married, having a baby, starting a new job, moving to a new city, performing on stage, and so on… And the more significant the change is (in your mind, that is—not everyone experiences the same types of changes in the same ways), the more your sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and the more “stress” you experience. – Nina Zolotow