Answer generated from The Confident Clinician database

The search results primarily describe what happens during a stress response rather than specifically after a stressful event is done. However, based on the information available, here is what we know about the stress response and its resolution:

During a stressful event, the body activates several systems:

• Heart rate and blood pressure increase
• Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released
• Blood is redirected to muscles and fight-or-flight related organs
• Digestion slows
• The reproductive system nearly shuts down
• Immune activity increases
• The prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and impulse control) becomes less active

When the stressful event is short-term (positive stress response), these changes are brief and the body returns to its normal state with only temporary elevations in stress hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure. However, if stress is chronic or recurring, the body may not fully return to its baseline. Instead, it can develop new biological “set points” through a process called allostasis, essentially rewiring itself to remain in a heightened state of stress readiness. This can lead to long-term damage including cardiovascular wear and tear, neurological changes, immune dysregulation, and gastrointestinal issues, among others.