At the same time, stress is not always a bad thing. Oftentimes, just the right amount of stress will encourage a student to study more or to try harder. The stress caused by knowing that they need a passing grade on their next test in order to pass a class, for example, might determine a student to stay up and study the night before when, normally, they might have gone out with friends. As the University of Georgia (1) defines it, this is something called positive stress. It adds short-term tension to the body that provides it with an additional burst of adrenaline in order to overcome a certain challenge.
Even positive stress comes with noticeable effects that can be both mental (anxiety, fear) and physical (headaches, nausea). However, these effects go away once the challenge is overcome. Students who are experiencing positive stress are usually able to return to a relaxed state, one where the effects of that stress go away. When the students are no longer able to ‘bounce back’ like this, they are deemed to be subject to negative stress. As this negative stress goes on and becomes chronic, it begins to take its toll on the body and cause physical, mental and emotional problems. As the exhaustion of the HPA axis continues and adrenal fatigue sets in, students will have more and more difficulty continuing their studies.
