Understanding Stress: your body's mobilisation system, explained
Reviewed By
Donna Bottomley - Psychotherapist, MBABCP accredited, 10+ years in CBT and EMDR
Stress is your body’s natural mobilisation system, it evolved to help us handle life's demands and challenges. While often viewed negatively, stress also serves an important purpose in keeping us alert and ready for action.
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What does the Understanding Stress Mini Course cover?
What stress is and why we have it, the difference between helpful and harmful stress, how it affects body and mind, and practical approaches for keeping it within a manageable range.
Who is this Understanding Stress Mini Course for?
Helpful if you:
😮💨 Feel stressed, overwhelmed or burnt out
🧠 Want to understand what stress is doing to you
🛠️ Are looking for practical ways to manage it
For therapists:
Assign this course as psychoeducation for clients presenting with stress or burnout, then follow up with Offload's relaxation and problem-solving tools. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Frequently asked questions
Is stress always bad for you?
No. Stress is the body's natural mobilisation system and short bursts of it sharpen focus, improve performance under pressure and build resilience. Problems arise when stress stays switched on for weeks or months. This course explains the difference and how to keep stress within a range you can manage.
What does chronic stress do to the body?
Long-term stress keeps cortisol and adrenaline elevated, which over time affects sleep, immunity, digestion, concentration and mood. Many people notice it as constant tiredness, irritability, headaches or feeling unable to switch off. The course covers these effects and the everyday habits that reverse them.
What will I learn in this course?
How the fight or flight response works, the positive side of short-term stress, the impact of chronic stress, and practical management approaches including exercise, sleep, mindfulness and problem-solving. It is a short interactive course you can complete in a few sittings and return to whenever you need.
Can my therapist assign this course?
Yes. Therapists on Offload can assign this course as psychoeducation for clients presenting with stress or burnout and follow it with relaxation and problem-solving tools. Your reflections are available for them to review before your next session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Explore Offload for therapistsReferences
McEwen, B. S., & Akil, H. (2020). "Revisiting the Stress Concept: Implications for Affective Disorders." Journal of Neuroscience, 40(1), 12-21. A foundational paper that reviews how chronic stress affects brain structure and function, particularly in relation to mood disorders. Cohen, S., Murphy, M. L. M., & Prather, A. A. (2019). "Ten Surprising Facts About Stressful Life Events and Disease Risk." Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 577-597. Explores the relationship between stressful life events and various health outcomes, including immune function and disease susceptibility. Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., & Johnston, T. P. (2017). "The Impact of Stress on Body Function: A Review." EXCLI Journal, 16, 1057-1072. Comprehensive review of how stress affects various body systems, from cardiovascular to immune function. Epel, E. S., Crosswell, A. D., & Mayer, S. E. (2018). "More than a Feeling: A Unified View of Stress Measurement for Population Science." Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 49, 146-169. Discusses modern approaches to measuring stress and its biological impacts, including both acute and chronic stress markers. Mariotti, A. (2015). "The Effects of Chronic Stress on Health: New Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms of Brain-Body Communication." Future Science OA, 1(3), FSO23. Though slightly older, this remains a key paper explaining the molecular mechanisms linking chronic stress to various health conditions. Shields, G. S., Sazma, M. A., & Yonelinas, A. P. (2016). "The Effects of Acute Stress on Core Executive Functions: A Meta-Analysis and Comparison with Cortisol." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 68, 651-668. A meta-analysis examining how acute stress affects cognitive function and decision-making abilities. Juster, R. P., McEwen, B. S., & Lupien, S. J. (2010). "Allostatic Load Biomarkers of Chronic Stress and Impact on Health and Cognition." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 2-16. Though older, this remains a fundamental paper explaining the concept of allostatic load and how chronic stress accumulates to affect health.
