tress is a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and is triggered by stressors in our lives. Stressors can be a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus or an event that causes our bodies to activate all of our resources so that we can protect ourselves. Stress begins with the “flight or fight” response that is sparked by our sympathetic nervous system. (King, p. 98) The response prepares the body to either fight or flee the threat. By preparing the body for conflict, our bodies are better prepared to perform under stress. The stress created by the situation is not necessarily unhealthy. Generally we experience elevated heartbeat, shaking, and tunnel vision. In fact, this particular type of stress actually aides us with coping effectively with the threat. When we find ourselves in stressful situations such as a deadline at work or at school, this type of stress can help us perform better and in cases where the threat is actually life threatening, the fight-or-flight response can actually play a critical role in our survival.…show more content… It comes from demands and pressures of the recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the near future. (www.apa.org) Because it is short term, acute stress doesn't have enough time to do the extensive damage associated with long-term stress. Common symptoms of acute stress include emotional distress, muscular problems, stomach and bowl problems. When experiencing acute stress, a person may experience symptoms such as anger, headaches, nausea, or shortness of breath. Once the threat passes, the parasympathetic nervous system begins to calm us down and concentrates on maintain our bodies. This type of stress is the most adaptive and permits us to do things we need to do in the event of an emergency. (King, p.