Stress Management: Signs, Symptoms, and Helpful Ways to Cope
November 1st was National Stress Awareness Day, a day established to increase public awareness and help people recognize, manage, and reduce stress in their personal and professional lives.
You know the stress scene, do you not? You’re up to your eyeballs in tasks and to-dos, the kids are crying, and the dog hasn’t been fed. Dinner is burning, and you and your partner are arguing about finances. Or, maybe you have three papers due, a group project with uncommunicative group members, mounting credit card debt, and your friends are being too much. Whatever the scenarios, we can all relate to feeling overwhelmed by stress.
What is stress? Stress is the physical or mental response to an external cause. Stress comes in all shapes and sizes–from a busy morning to divorce–and is always caused by a specific threat (think homework, first date, loss of employment, etc.).
Sometimes, stress can be helpful. It can motivate us to meet deadlines and to power through big moments like speeches or performances. In these scenarios, we can learn to channel stress to achieve focus and confidence. In other scenarios, stress can make us fight, flee, or freeze.
The ways we take on and deal with stress can have a huge impact on our overall well being. Therefore, it’s important to rely on developed and developing skills to manage stressful periods. Some stress management skills include creating lists of what you need to accomplish, asking others for help, and making sure that you prioritize taking care of yourself with things like water, walks, and quiet time.
Below you’ll find some of the ways that stress can affect us physically, mentally, and emotionally, along with some helpful ways to cope.
Could what you’re experiencing be more than stress? Absolutely. Anxiety is your body’s reaction to stress and can occur even if there is no current stressor or threat. This means that even without the presence of homework or a first date or loss of employment the body and mind still feel in danger.
If you’re feeling anxious, therapy can help. Talking with someone about your anxiety can help you process your fears and worries. Working with a therapist can help you quiet racing and intrusive thoughts. Through mindfulness practices, healthy routines, therapy, and sometimes medication, anxiety can be managed and lead to a more peaceful life.
If you or anyone you know struggles with anxiety, please reach out to support@nashvilleccc.com or click here to schedule an appointment with us today.
Resources
Infographic from National Institute for Mental Health:
Yoga/Breathwork for Stress Relief
7 Ways to Practice Breath Work for Beginners