Stress
Stress Distress: Emotional stress can cause feelings of frustration, nervousness or anger. Skillsets & behaviors for handling feelings are learned & vary from person to person. Learn new skillsets for handling stress & emulate the behaviors that you admire.
Stress Excess: Too much emotional stress increases heart & breathing rates, blood pressure, muscle tension & hormone levels. The negative long-term impact of this kind of stress contributes to heart disease, asthma, obesity, diabetes, headaches, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, strokes, Alzheimer’s, accelerated aging, memory & concentration impairment and pre-mature death. Take time to learn and improve the way you deal with excessive stress as it will benefit you in the long run.
Stress Source: Internal sources can come from unrealistic exceptions of yourself or others, pessimism, assumptions, self pressure, poor nutrition, lack of sleep and negative mind-chatter. External sources can come from major life changes, school/work assignments, difficult/abusive relationships, financial burdens, overburdened with competing tasks and overwhelming family/friend demands. Pinpointing the source is the first step in learning how to deal with it.
Stress Numbness: When stress inhibits your ability to get everyday tasks done, then it’s too much. Chronic stress may inhibit your ability to even know that you are stressed and may cause you to become numb to the world around you. Talk to a trusted family member, friend or professional to start to uncover the reasons for your stress & the steps you need to take to heal.
Adverse Stress Reaction: Being chronically overstressed can yield the following symptoms: aches, pains, insomnia, sleeplessness, social behavior changes, low energy, burnout, unfocused & cloudy thinking, changes in appetite, increase in alcohol/drug use, emotional response changes & withdrawal. If you or someone else notices these changes in you, recognize that they may be symptoms of stress and that your body is asking for help.
Stress Treats: Treat your stress symptoms by prioritizing daily actions that you are going to implement. And don’t forget the daily basics - healthy eating, exercising & relaxation techniques. These daily basics will help your body heal as you address the cause of your stress. Sprinkle in some hobbies, journaling, relationship building and humor, but most of all, make yourself a priority for restoring your pre-stress self.