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Stress

By April 14, 2022June 7th, 2022No Comments
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Health Bound Health Network

Stressing About Stress

We can all remember a time in our lives when we experienced high levels of stress. Perhaps you were stressed out minutes before writing a big exam, or maybe you were down 2 points in a basketball match with only 1 minute of play remaining. These are all examples of smalls amounts of positive stress which can help us perform better. The key in these situations is the stress is brief. Stress is a common reaction to adverse situations an individual may experience throughout their day-to-day lives.

 

It is our psychological and physiological response to events or situations that we find challenging or determine as a threat. After a stressful event or situation has passed, our mental, emotional and physical state should return to normal. When acute stress turns into chronic stress, this can impact an individual’s quality of life and may lead to long-term health problems. In severe cases, chronic stress can result in serious health problems including anxiety disorders, depression, burnout, digestive problems, heart disease, and disordered eating (Schneiderman, Ironson, & Siegel, 2005).

Chronic stress has a way of consuming people and can interfere with your everyday life. Below is a list of signs that your stress levels are starting to get out of hand. It is important to address these symptoms before they become overwhelming.

Signs that Indicate Stress is Impacting your Quality of Life:

  • Increased irritability
  • Pulling away from friends and family
  • Small things that used to never bother you are now a trigger factor
  • Increase in headaches/migraines
  • Forgetting to eat or realizing that you are emotionally eating
  • Frequently missing deadlines at work
  • Increased levels of fatigue
  • Struggling to get out of bed in the morning
  • Difficulties concentrating
  • Loss of interest in things you once found enjoyable

 

Inability to Perform Activities of Daily Living and other Responsibilities:

 

Ways to Manage Stress:

 

  • Long Term Management Strategies:
    • Make time for leisure activities
    • Move your body regularly
    • Eat a balanced diet, eat regular meals and stay hydrated
    • Follow a sleep schedule, make sleep a priority
    • Set goals and prioritize
    • Practice gratitude
    • Focus on positivity
    • Spend time with nature
    • Stay connected with friends and family

 

References:

Schneiderman, N., Ironson, G., & Siegel, S. D. (2005). Stress and health: psychological, behavioral, and biological determinants. Annual review of clinical psychology, 1, 607–628. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.144141