Acute stress
Acute stress is a short-lasting form of intense stress. It may be a confrontation, a fight, an arrival of bad news, a sudden urgent problem to solve, watching a football match, or physical stress (e.g. sudden immersion in cold water).
Acute stress is put in opposition to chronic stress, which is the type of stress that does not want to go away. If your stress is gone by the time you wake up on the next day, you know the stress was acute.
At the hormonal level, acute stress may be distinguished from chronic stress by the preponderant contribution of adrenaline as opposed to the impact of glucocorticoids. This may also explain the complex impact of stress on memory. While acute stress may sharpen memories associated with the stressful situation, chronic stress may blunt memories and, in the long run, may undermine cognitive functioning, and mental health.
One of the best ways to combat acute stress, in addition to solving the actual underlying problem, is to deploy stress valves.
Examples:
- chronic stress - for months you cannot find a job and your savings are dwindling
- acute stress - shouting match with your spouse followed by profuse apologies, and perhaps some make-up dessert
- eustress - you stand on the start line of a marathon. You sense it is gonna be a fantastic day
For more see:
- Tackling stress: Using stress valves to prevent chronic stress
- Developing resilience: Stress resilience
- Eustress in exploration: Mechanics of eustress
This glossary entry is used to explain texts in SuperMemo Guru series on memory, learning, creativity, and problem solving