Stress management gives you a range of tools to reset your alarm system. It can help your mind and body adapt (resilience). Without it, your body might always be on high alert. Over time, chronic stress can lead to serious health problems.
Your brain comes hard-wired with an alarm system for your protection. When your brain perceives a threat, it signals your body to release a burst of hormones that increase your heart rate and raise your blood pressure. This "fight-or-flight" response fuels you to deal with the threat.
Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. A small amount of stress can be good, motivating you to perform well. But multiple challenges daily, such as sitting in traffic, meeting deadlines and paying bills, can push you beyond your ability to cope.
Stress management gives you a range of tools to reset your alarm system. It can help your mind and body adapt (resilience). Without it, your body might always be on high alert. Over time, chronic stress can lead to serious health problems.
Stress is caused by our thoughts about a situation, not by the situation itself. Two people in the exact same situation might have different levels of stress (or no stress at all), just because of how they think about it. The process of identifying and changing these irrational thoughts is called cognitive restructuring
Psychotherapy – This type of therapy takes place with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or another type of mental health professional. In psychotherapy, people are encouraged to discover the underlying causes of their stress so that they can learn strategies for improving their quality of life.
Behavior Therapy – There are several types of behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most beneficial ways to deal with stress. In CBT, people are taught to recognize and change negative thought patterns and apply different tools to help them improve their negative-self talk to be more positive.
Alternative Therapies – Activities like exercise, yoga, acupuncture, massage, meditation, and social support are all useful tools to try if a person is faced with intense feelings of stress or pressure.
We’re living, working, and trying to relax all in the same space. So, online therapy makes sense. But maybe you’ve wondered… “Is teletherapy as effective as in-person therapy? Won’t it be awkward and impersonal?” You’re not alone there. I used to have the same questions. But research has shown that teletherapy is just as effective as in-person services in most cases. And it has benefits that traditional in-office therapy doesn’t have.
You feel overwhelmed, lost, and hopeless. You’re struggling to get back to your “normal self” or having trouble working through things on your own. But what if you could evolve into something even better than your previous normal self and use the crappy stuff you’ve been dealing with to grow into an even stronger and more amazing version of yourself?
Wondering where all the romance went? Or feeling stuck in a relationship where “taking breaks” and the “silent treatment” just aren’t working? Maybe you’re feeling like your intimacy or sex life is stale? Maybe there’s been infidelity? Or maybe you just need a higher level of understanding and communication? There are many reasons to seek couples counseling. Whatever the reason, know that you are not alone.
No. Stress can motivate people to prepare or perform, like when they need to take a test or interview for a new job. Stress can be life-saving in response to danger as your body prepares to face a threat or flee to safety. In these situations, your pulse quickens, you breathe faster, your muscles tense, your brain uses more oxygen and increases activity–all functions aimed at survival.
Stress has not been shown to directly cause high blood pressure, but it can lead to unhealthy lifestyle choices that are associated with high blood pressure. Chronic stress can weaken your immune system and cause uncomfortable physical symptoms like headaches and stomach problems.
There are countless quick, easy, and cost-free actions you can take to reduce your stress. Here’s a few to consider: meditate, exercise, create a support network, think positive, avoid excess caffeine, laugh, focus on you.
Everyone feels stressed from time to time. Some people cope with stress more effectively or recover from stressful events more quickly than others. There are different types of stress–all of which carry physical and mental health risks. A stressor may be a one time or short term occurrence, or it can keep happening over a long period of time.
Feeling stress is a fact of life for most people. But it affects everyone differently. What causes stress for you may not be stressful for someone else. That’s because how you view a situation affects how much stress it causes you. Only you can figure out whether you have too much stress in your life.