---
title: "The stress response"
course: "BIOL 105 · Sleep, stress and your body"
unit: "Stress and your body"
lesson: 9 of 16
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/the-stress-response
publisher: Maestro College
---

# The stress response

Lesson 9 of 16 in **Sleep, stress and your body** (BIOL 105), unit "Stress and your body". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Describe the 'fight-or-flight' response, including the role of the sympathetic nervous system and adrenaline.
- Explain the slower hormonal stress response involving cortisol.
- Name common body signs of stress, such as faster heartbeat, quick breathing, tense muscles and an upset stomach.
- Explain the role of the parasympathetic 'rest and digest' system in calming down.

## Teaching notes
Start with a familiar moment, such as a near miss in traffic or a big presentation, and trace what the body does step by step. Present the response as protective and normal, not as something to eliminate.

## Course boundaries
General education only, not medical advice; don't diagnose or recommend medications or supplements. Encourage seeing a doctor or qualified professional for ongoing sleep or mental health problems, health conditions or pregnancy. If the learner is in crisis, stop and point them to emergency help or 988 (US). No coping techniques that use pain or discomfort, and no weight-loss pressure or body shaming. Check guideline figures on official sources such as CDC and NIH.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 9 complete: The stress response."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Short-term and long-term stress" (lesson 10 of 16), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/short-term-and-long-term-stress.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Challenge: design a sleep plan
Next lesson: Short-term and long-term stress