What is too much stress?

By Eshna Sewak, Proficient Behaviour Support Practitioner

5 min read March 31, 2024 - 5:30am

Stress is a completely normal physical response to challenging or new situations. Stress takes on the form of both mental and physical symptoms. When experiencing stress, the body releases stress hormones that allow for physical changes in the body, further assisting in the way someone responds to a stressful situation.

Everyone experiences stress differently. Understanding what makes one stress and how they respond to different challenges faces in life, will help them manage stressful periods.


There are two different kinds of stress: productive stress and unproductive stress. The biggest factor in stress management is adjusting one’s levels of productive and unproductive stress. One may also experience physical changes to their body when experiencing stress. These may include a faster heartbeat leading to more rapid breathing, or muscles tensing up. 

These physical symptoms occur when the body prepares for a ‘fight or flight’ situation. These mental and physical symptoms should pass once the stressful situation has been resolved. However, if the symptoms linger, it may be a sign of too much stress. 

Everyone experiences unproductive stress differently. There may be some telltale signs to determine if one is experiencing unproductive stress. These include:

    • Feeling overwhelmed

    • Unable to stop worrying

    • Changes in appetite

    • Changes in sleep patterns

    • Changes in mood

    • Withdrawal from friends and family

    • Reliance on alcohol or other drugs to cope

Stress management is a skill that individuals can learn themselves or they might seek professional help from psychologists and other therapists. Professionals can allow an individual to identify their stress and determine appropriate stress management techniques. Stress management includes a range of approaches to manage stress and anxiety. Relaxation techniques can help reduce stress and increase one’s ability to cope in stressful situations. These techniques and approaches may not be effective for everyone, and it is important the individuals find the appropriate techniques for themselves and the situations they are in.