Traffic jams, deadlines, eating on the run, bills to pay, job changes, endless chores and errands, and demands, demands, demands.
Stress is the body's response to any demand or pressure.
These demands are called stressors. Stressors include major life events, such as a divorce or the birth of a child. They also include chronic strains that last over a period of time, such as living on unemployment. And stressors include daily or occasional strains, like taking care of a sick child. Whatever the stressor is, it requires the body to make physical and chemical adjustments in order to maintain the necessary physiological balance for survival.