Method and apparatus for stress management in a searchable data service. The searchable data service may provide a searchable index to a backend data store, and an interface to build and query the searchable index, that enables client applications to search for and retrieve locators for stored entities in the backend data store. Embodiments of the searchable data service may implement a distributed stress management mechanism that may provide functionality including, but not limited to, the automated monitoring of critical resources, analysis of resource usage, and decisions on and performance of actions to keep resource usage within comfort zones. In one embodiment, in response to usage of a particular resource being detected as out of the comfort zone on a node, an action may be performed to transfer at least part of the resource usage for the local resource to another node that provides a similar resource.