Stressors are things that make us feel stressed or worried. They can be short-term or long-term. Short-term stress happens quickly and goes away after the situation is over, like feeling nervous before a test. Long-term stress, like worrying about money, can last a long time. There are three types of stress:
- Survival stress, which helps us stay safe when we're in danger.
- Environmental stress, which comes from little annoyances we deal with every day.
- Internal stress, which comes from worrying about things that happened before or things that might happen in the future.
A little bit of stress can be okay, but too much for a long time can make us feel bad, like having trouble sleeping or getting sick. To feel better, we can practice ways to manage stress, like breathing deeply, talking to a friend about our worries, or asking a grown-up for help if we need it.