Activity: How stress affects the body

This activity is part of the Managing Study Stress series. 

Stress is the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, stamina and increased alertness. Stress increases the heart rate, changes your breathing, and releases hormones into your system.

We all need a certain level of stress to be productive and motivate us to achieve our goals. Stress becomes a problem when it tips over from being helpful to overwhelming. Too much stress over a long period of time leads to exhaustion and burn-out, so it's important to learn ways to keep your stress in check.