These days, we are surrounded by social, economic, political, and even digital turmoil, so it’s no wonder we often end the day feeling stressed out. A little bit of stress is normal for most people, as we all experience it from time to time, but it’s important to recognize when stress has become a distraction that hinders our daily lives. Here we’ll identify what stress is and its impact on the body, as well as provide stress management tips to keep you feeling like your best self.
What Is Stress?
Stress is a natural traction to one’s environment, one that causes physical, psychological, and behavioral responses that can be positive or negative depending on the situation. It can help you keep you focused during important times, or can bring you down when it becomes overwhelming. On average, women experience significantly more stress than men, but it can affect any person, at any age.
Stress manifests in many ways, but most often as:
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- Acute: Short-term stress that comes on quickly due to a sudden experience, such as being startled or trying a new yet nerve-wracking activity. It often fades as quickly as it comes on.
- Episodic Acute: Acute stress that regularly occurs with limited relief. This type of stress often affects those with more volatile or demanding career paths.
- Chronic: Ongoing stress that lasts for weeks, months, or even years. Chronic stress may be the result of relationship or work problems, health issues, or financial worries.
Symptoms of Stress
Stress can manifest in many ways, some of which you may not immediately recognize as symptoms. More, chronic stress can lead to lasting physical and psychological damage, so it’s important to be aware of what your body is telling you, and when it’s time to get that stress under control. Symptoms of stress include:
Physical:
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- Body aches
- High blood pressure
- Stomach problems
- Low libido
- Chest pains
- Racing heart
- Headaches
- Nerves/tremors
- Rashes
Psychological:
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- Depression
- Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
- Emotional distress
- Irritability
Behavioral:
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- Substance abuse (drugs, alcohol)
- Internet addiction
- Shopping addiction
- Over or undereating
- Gambling problems
- Self-isolation
- Taking up or increasing smoking
Tips for Stress Management
Managing stress is vital for your overall physical and mental well-being. Read on for helpful tips for stress management that can lead to lower blood pressure, increased mental health, and a more positive daily outlook.
Exercise Regularly
Start moving to stop stressing! Physical activity of any kind, from a slow walk around the block to a breath-stealing HIIT workout, is a great way to relieve stress. Exercise releases feel-good hormones like endorphins and neural chemicals to boost your mental state while refocusing negative or emotional thoughts.
Focus on Healthy Habits
Well-balanced diets are an important part of stress management. Choose nutritional meals with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while avoiding unhealthy sugary or fatty foods or alcohol (as well as cigarettes and illegal substances). By taking control of your diet, you’re implementing more effective ways to cope with stress – while keeping your body healthy too!
Prioritize Yourself
When you feel overwhelmed, your stress levels are heightened. Maybe your workload is piling up and people keep asking you to do more, family matters are all falling in your lap to handle, or there’s just a lot going on in life coming from every direction. No matter the situation, feeling like you’ve lost control can make stress worse and cause inner turmoil. Put yourself first by taking control back, establishing healthy boundaries, adjusting your busy schedule, and not always saying “yes” if it means putting too much on your plate at once.
Stick to a Sleep Schedule
Stress can easily lead to sleepless nights as your mind goes into overdrive thinking about all the things still left to do. But, your body needs this time to decompress and recharge to ensure optimal energy levels, focus, and overall mood. If sleep is a struggle for you, create a soothing environment with a relaxing bedtime routine, eliminate screens like your phone or television, keep your room cool and dark, and, perhaps most important, stick to a sleep schedule.
Build a Support System
With stress often comes isolation. It’s easy to shut out the rest of the world as a defense mechanism against overwhelming thoughts and emotions, but a strong support network can help get you out of your head. From friends and family to work colleagues, your support system is there to talk through stressful times, find fun ways to unwind, offer different perspectives, or simply be a comforting presence to listen.
Take a Break
You deserve time for yourself. Self-care is important, those physical and mental breaks giving you the chance to recharge and enjoy hobbies or quality time with loved ones. This looks different for everyone, but could include a spa day, an hour of yoga at lunch, meditation, dinner and drinks with the girls, reading a new book, or simply unplugging and taking a walk with no digital distractions.
When Stress Overwhelms, Seek Professional Help
If stress is becoming chronic and you’ve tried all the stress management tips out there but nothing’s working, it may be time to seek the help of a mental health professional. Mindful Health Solutions is paving the way in psychiatric innovation, offering innovative therapies designed to transform your mental well-being. Contact us today to take the stress out of your life.
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Resources
Stress and high blood pressure: What’s the connection?