Fascinating Friday: The 6 Types of Stress Most People Overlook
Fascinating Friday: The 6 Types of Stress Most People Overlook
When we hear the word stress, most of us immediately think about mental or emotional overwhelm — deadlines, anxiety, feeling pulled in a hundred directions.
But stress isn’t just something you feel.
It’s something your body experiences across multiple systems at once.
At Studio Upgrade, we see this every day. Clients often tell us:
> “I’m exercising, eating better, and trying to rest… so why do I still feel tired, tight, inflamed, or stuck?”
The answer is often layered stress.
Let’s break down the six types of stress that influence how your body moves, recovers, digests, and adapts — often without you realizing it.
1. Psychological Stress
“Mind Under Siege”
This is the type of stress most people recognize.
Psychological stress comes from emotional load, constant worry, unresolved grief, or feeling mentally “on” all the time. When this stress stays elevated, your nervous system remains in a heightened state, which can impact sleep, digestion, posture, and even pain perception.
Your body doesn’t just notice stress — it organizes around it.
2. Physical Stress
“Body in Overdrive”
Physical stress isn’t just intense workouts. It can also come from:
Chronic pain or injury
Poor movement patterns
Too little recovery
Sedentary lifestyles
Repetitive daily strain
Without proper recovery and variability, physical stress accumulates, often showing up as stiffness, soreness, or plateaus in progress.
More movement isn’t always the answer — better movement is.
3. Biochemical Stress
“Total Chemical Chaos”
Biochemical stress happens when internal chemistry is out of balance.
This may include:
Blood sugar swings
Poor gut health
Food sensitivities
Inadequate protein or micronutrients
When your body is under-fueled or poorly regulated, stress hormones rise — even if your life feels “calm.”
This is one reason nutrition plays such a powerful role in energy, mood, and recovery.
4. Circadian Stress
“Body Clock Crusher”
Your body thrives on rhythm.
Circadian stress occurs when sleep cycles, light exposure, and daily routines are inconsistent. Common contributors include:
Poor sleep quality
Late-night screen time
Shift work or irregular schedules
Inconsistent meal timing
When circadian rhythms are disrupted, hormone regulation, metabolism, and nervous system balance suffer.
Rest is not passive — it’s active repair.
5. Environmental Stress
“Highly Toxic Terrain”
Environmental stress is often invisible but highly impactful.
It includes your body’s response to:
Pollutants
Mold or poor air quality
Chemicals in personal care or cleaning products
Your body must constantly detox and adapt to these exposures, which can quietly drain resources needed for healing, recovery, and resilience.
6. Oxidative Stress
“The Rust Factory”
Oxidative stress occurs when inflammation and free radicals outpace your body’s ability to repair.
This can be driven by:
Chronic inflammation
Poor recovery
Highly processed foods
Excess alcohol or lack of sleep
Over time, oxidative stress impacts cellular health, tissue quality, and how well your body adapts to training and stress.
The Fascinating Part: Stress Layers, It Doesn’t Isolate
Your body doesn’t experience these stresses separately.
They stack.
Psychological stress can worsen digestion.
Poor sleep can increase inflammation.
Under-fueling can elevate cortisol.
Movement patterns adapt to stress signals.
This is why one-dimensional solutions rarely work.
Our Philosophy at Studio Upgrade
We don’t chase symptoms.
We look at patterns.
Through movement, nutrition guidance, recovery strategies, and tools like ShapeScale assessments, we help clients understand how their body is responding — and how to support it more intelligently.
Stress isn’t a personal failure.
It’s information.
And when you understand it, you can work with your body instead of against it.
Want Support Untangling Your Stress Layers?
Our Wellness Wednesday consultations are designed to help you connect the dots between stress, movement, nutrition, and recovery — without overwhelm.
👉 Book your free consult and let’s build a plan that actually fits your body.
Because better wellness starts with understanding.