i'm so stressed!!
Have you caught yourself saying “I am so stressed” lately? Modern life is filled with daily hassles and life events that create a stress response from us. Daily hassles are things like meal planning, paying bills, maintaining a home, and responding to texts or emails. Stress-inducing life events are things like being fired, filing for divorce, or a significant illness or injury.
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body and can lead to symptoms such as headaches, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, weight gain or loss, problems with memory and focus, high blood pressure, and sleep problems. It is crucial to learn healthy ways of coping with stress in your life. Here are some things you can do to help keep your stress levels at a manageable level:
1. Monitor your mindset! Psychologists Richard Lazerus and Susan Folkman, in their Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, highlighted the role of one’s perceived ability to manage stressors. How we perceive a daily hassle or life event can lead to a lowered or heightened stress response. For example, if we have a sick child at home and need to call into work, we can lower our stress response by thinking “my boss will be understanding”, versus “my boss is going to be so mad at me.” With helpful and positive self-talk, you can dial down your stress levels and make life feel more manageable.
2. Change your technology habits! Turn off alerts that disrupt your life at home. Emails and texts don’t need responses when you are out to dinner with friends or putting your kids to bed. Commit to being device-free for a period of time each week and set limits on your overall use of devices. Technology and constant connection can have a real toll on our wellbeing and overall health.
3. Make improvements to your lifestyle! Lower your caffeine and alcohol intake, as these disrupt your sugar levels, which impact mood and stress tolerance. Good nutrition, hydration, daily exercise, and self- care go a long way to keep those stress levels at a lower level. Lastly, connect with others: a live phone call, a date to meet for coffee, or a morning walk with someone. Personal connection is crucial for our mental health and is a healthy way to combat chronic stress.
4. Build those coping skills! If we ignore or avoid our stressors, we risk worsening our mental health and overall ability to cope. Stress management requires a good coping skills toolbox. Time management, healthy routines, and boundary setting are important tools to learn to keep stress levels at their lowest. Skills like exercise, journaling, meditation and mindfulness can help regulate your emotions when you feel your stress rising. All these skills build resiliency and will help you make sustainable changes to how you perceive and manage those daily hassles and life events.
If life feels heavy and overwhelming and you are struggling to deal with chronic stress, please seek professional guidance and support. We are here to help! - Tracy Strepek, LCSW, Extension 351
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body and can lead to symptoms such as headaches, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, weight gain or loss, problems with memory and focus, high blood pressure, and sleep problems. It is crucial to learn healthy ways of coping with stress in your life. Here are some things you can do to help keep your stress levels at a manageable level:
1. Monitor your mindset! Psychologists Richard Lazerus and Susan Folkman, in their Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, highlighted the role of one’s perceived ability to manage stressors. How we perceive a daily hassle or life event can lead to a lowered or heightened stress response. For example, if we have a sick child at home and need to call into work, we can lower our stress response by thinking “my boss will be understanding”, versus “my boss is going to be so mad at me.” With helpful and positive self-talk, you can dial down your stress levels and make life feel more manageable.
2. Change your technology habits! Turn off alerts that disrupt your life at home. Emails and texts don’t need responses when you are out to dinner with friends or putting your kids to bed. Commit to being device-free for a period of time each week and set limits on your overall use of devices. Technology and constant connection can have a real toll on our wellbeing and overall health.
3. Make improvements to your lifestyle! Lower your caffeine and alcohol intake, as these disrupt your sugar levels, which impact mood and stress tolerance. Good nutrition, hydration, daily exercise, and self- care go a long way to keep those stress levels at a lower level. Lastly, connect with others: a live phone call, a date to meet for coffee, or a morning walk with someone. Personal connection is crucial for our mental health and is a healthy way to combat chronic stress.
4. Build those coping skills! If we ignore or avoid our stressors, we risk worsening our mental health and overall ability to cope. Stress management requires a good coping skills toolbox. Time management, healthy routines, and boundary setting are important tools to learn to keep stress levels at their lowest. Skills like exercise, journaling, meditation and mindfulness can help regulate your emotions when you feel your stress rising. All these skills build resiliency and will help you make sustainable changes to how you perceive and manage those daily hassles and life events.
If life feels heavy and overwhelming and you are struggling to deal with chronic stress, please seek professional guidance and support. We are here to help! - Tracy Strepek, LCSW, Extension 351