The effects of slowly accumulating stress

Chronic stress becomes so ingrained in our daily living that we can fail to recognize the slow, small changes in ourselves and our health.

The concept of allostatic load recognizes that, over time, the body’s response to repeated stress causes wear and tear on the body. It may help to think of this like falling snow. By itself, each tiny flake may seem inconsequential, but eventually the one-too-many snowflake can cause the roof to collapse.

The damage from stress builds in a similar way--day after day of noisy environments, night after night of restless sleep, and weeks filled with demanding jobs--until the build-up can undermine overall health.

Roll over the body systems in the right-hand graphic to learn how stress damages the body.