EVERYONE IS AFFECTED BY STRESS
Dealing with stress? Need help to get your life back on track? Stress is the body’s natural response to challenging or dangerous situations. It triggers your “fight or flight” response, causing your body to produce more cortisol and adrenaline to give you the extra push to do what you must. In some cases, it can save your life while in others it encourages you to succeed at a presentation, exam, job interview, etc.
Unfortunately, stress is only beneficial up to a certain point. If stress is experienced for too long or too much at once it can begin to affect your daily activities and can lead to deteriorating your health and quality of life.
Integrated Counseling and Wellness offers professional support for individuals dealing with excessive stress. We are here to help.
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CAUSES OF STRESS?
Any situation that places a high demand on you or poses a threat to your wellbeing can be interpreted as stress. Stress is caused not only by negative situations but also positive changes in life that greatly increase the intensity of one’s normal routine. Common causes of stress include:
- Illness or injury
- Relationship problems
- Financial problems
- Work-related problems
- Bereavement
- Abortion
- Being too busy
- Getting married
- Having a baby
- Buying a home
- Work promotion
- Losing your job
- Retirement and more
Simple things like traffic, noisy neighbors, a broken appliance or numerous other everyday occurrences can also cause stress. Even watching the news or thinking about something negative can raise your stress level.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS?
The most dangerous element of stress is its widespread effects on one’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral wellbeing. Recognizing the symptoms as an extension of your stressor(s) is key to a successful coping strategy. Common symptoms of stress include:
- Inability to concentrate
- Memory problems
- Perpetual anxiety
- Irritability, anger management issues
- Unhappiness or depression
- Loneliness or isolation
- Aches and pains
- Nausea, dizziness
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Sleeping difficulties
- Procrastination
- Substance abuse
STRESS RISK FACTORS
Stress is often considered a normal part of life; in fact, some individuals thrive under high stress levels. However, each person’s tolerance and coping capacity for stressful situations is different due to a variety of personal and environmental factors. Individuals who are at a higher risk of experiencing frequent or intense symptoms of stress include those with:
- Multiple causes of stress
- Low-stress tolerance
- Negative interpretation of the stressor(s)
- Low self-confidence in controlling the stressor(s)
- Limited support from people closest to them
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Negative outlook on life
HOW TO DEAL WITH STRESS
Although stress may feel overwhelming at times, there is a variety of ways to deal with it and ensure that it does not escalate into a more serious problem. Taking care of yourself physically and emotionally is often the ideal method for arming your body against the psychological stressors of daily life. Plans for effective coping and prevention mechanisms include:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercising regularly
- Seeking support from family and friends
- Adopting a pet
- Listening to music
- Prioritizing your daily tasks
- Getting a healthy amount of sleep
- Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake
- Practicing relaxation techniques, i.e., meditation or yoga
- Attending a group stress management program
GET PROFESSIONAL HELP TO OVERCOME STRESS TODAY
In some cases, psychological distress may affect one’s ability to function at home, work or school, or even society as a whole for a prolonged period of time. Severe stress may be a symptom of clinical anxiety disorder, it is wise to seek professional help from a qualified stress therapist to address the problem in a timely and efficient manner.
If you are looking for professional stress counseling, please do not hesitate to contact Integrated Counseling and Wellness. With timely intervention, stress can be overcome and wellbeing restored.