07/04/2026
Stress is a natural response, and in the short-term can sometimes be a good thing. Positive stress is short-term, motivating, and enhances performance, increases focus and helps us adapt to new challenges.
The problem with stress sets in when it becomes chronic. It is estimated that between 74% to 91% of UK adults felt overwhelmed or unable to cope due to stress at least once in the past year.
With numbers that high, we need to know when stress turns from a positive, short-term, performance-enhancing response to a chronic, debilitating and overwhelming experience.
In this video, Dr Ekaterina (Katya) Yurtaeva, Counselling Psychologist at Nightingale Hospital, answers one of the most searched questions about stress: What does stress actually look like?