What is the Difference Between a ‘Stress Reaction’ and a ‘Stress Response’?

In our every day life, we find ourselves in a variety of different situations. Sometimes these situations can be quite stressful and we develop a range coping techniques to deal with situations.

What is a Stress Reaction?

Without realising, some coping mechanisms we use occur automatically (unconsciously) and are termed a stress reaction. These stress reactions are often learned from past experiences and cover up vulnerabilities. Generally when we react, the situation that happened is not acknowledged (i.e. we habitually react).

What is a Stress Response?

A stress response on the other hand, acknowledges what is happening in the present moment, allows the feelings/emotions to be there as well as develop tools to work with them. When we work with stress mindfully, we can gradually start to see the habitual patterns of unawareness or autopilot that are associated with stress reactions and begin to find new ways of dealing with stress and transforming it.

It is like bringing light in to the darkness of mindless reactions, which can lead you to choosing our responses to situations instead or reacting.

Over to You…

“Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we wish to throw our weight. The capacity to create ourselves, based upon this freedom, is inseparable from consciousness or self-awareness.”

~ Rollo May

I hope this post has helped you with understanding the difference between a stress reaction and a stress response. Where do you see yourself? Feel free to share your questions or comments below.

If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards your freedom and opening your heart, why not join our Toolkit?