Which of the following best describes stress?

The best description of stress is that it is a reaction to change, whether that change is perceived as positive or negative. This definition captures the broad nature of stress as a response to external circumstances and personal assessments of those circumstances. Stress can arise from a variety of life events, including both challenges that provoke anxiety, such as job loss or personal loss, and positive changes, like getting a promotion or having a child. This understanding of stress is crucial because it highlights how it is not solely tied to negative experiences, underscoring that even positive events can lead to feelings of stress as individuals navigate change.

The other options, while aspects of stress, do not encapsulate its full definition. Emotional responses to a lack of resources or mental fatigue are specific manifestations and consequences of stress but do not cover the broader range of experiences that can lead to stress. Similarly, physical symptoms of workload relate to the effects of stress but miss the underlying mechanisms of change that trigger the stress response in the first place. Thus, defining stress as a reaction to change embraces the potential for both negative and positive influences on an individual's well-being.