Stress does not build evenly. It rises and falls in snaking arcs— intensifying, peaking, then easing off before sometimes rising again during the recovery phase. Mapping stress curves in relation to the different phases of disruptions and disasters cycle shows when and how communities are likely to hit critical stress levels. Understanding stress curves helps communities pace interventions, provide timely support, and reduce unnecessary strain. Resilience awareness grows when stress is tracked like any other system signal.