Stress: What Is It and How Do You Manage It?

It is normal for people to experience stress when changes occur that result in intellectual and emotional responses. However, there are some ways to deal with stress that are far better than others. Dealing with stress in a healthy way can make all the difference to your well-being.

Keep reading to learn more!

As said above, stress is a completely normal human reaction. In fact, everyone will experience it at one point or another. After all, the body is designed to experience stress and react to it in order to survive.

When you experience different challenges or changes, also known as stressors, your body begins to produce mental and physical responses. More commonly known as stress. A stress response can often help your body to adjust to new or different situations.

Sometimes, it can even be positive! However, stress becomes a problem when the stressors continue without experiencing periods of relief or relaxation. Constant stress benefits nobody.

When your body experiences stress, it can act in confusing ways. Your body’s autonomic nervous system controls things such as your breathing, heart rate, and even vision changes. The fight-or-flight response, also known as your built-in stress response, enables your body to face stressful situations.

When a person is dealing with chronic stress, different emotional and behavioural symptoms will begin to develop. Some symptoms may include:

• Aches
• Pains
• Chest pains
• Increased heart rate
• Exhaustion
• Trouble sleeping
• Shaking
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• Stomach issues
• Digestive issues
• Weak immune system
• Sadness
• Panic attacks
• Depression

When people are dealing with chronic stress, they may try to manage it in different ways. However, some ways are extremely unhealthy. These behaviours include:

• Gambling
• Overeating
• Drinking too much alcohol too often
• Developing an eating disorder
• Compulsively shopping
• Spending too much time on social media and ignoring real life
• Smoking
• Using drugs

You can’t avoid stress. Though, you can stop it from becoming too overwhelming for you to handle. Here are some things you can practice to stop it from developing:

• Consider speaking to a therapist.
• Exercise when you begin to feel symptoms of stress.
• Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

If you begin to feel overwhelmed, begin using drugs or alcohol to cope, or consider hurting yourself, it is essential for you to speak to a professional.