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Stress

What is stress?

Stress is a normal reaction to certain stimuli. While many people may view stress as a negative experience, it isn’t inherently bad. Our minds and bodies are designed to protect us from a perceived threat, releasing stress hormones to activate our fight-flight-freeze response. This reaction is meant to be helpful. The body’s heart rate increases, sending blood and oxygen to our muscles and ramping up our adrenaline to help us manage the threat.

Stress hormones can also motivate us, enhancing our productivity and adaptability. When we are faced with challenges or new experiences, such as starting a new job, preparing for the birth of a child, or moving into a new home, this response can benefit our mental well-being by helping us build resilience and driving perseverance.

To summarize, both positive and negative experiences can be potential sources of stress, but it’s important to pay attention to when stressors begin to exceed our capacity to manage it.

What is distress?

Distress is the emotion that often comes from experiencing prolonged stress, or experiencing many challenging situations at once. Internal factors such as fear, obsessive thought patterns, and perfectionism, can also play a role in creating distress.

The impacts of stress on the body and mind

Left unmanaged, stress can negatively impact both our physical and mental health. Prolonged exposure to stress may lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure, weakened immune system, and chronic pain.

Chronic stress can also intensify mental health issues such as feeling depressed or having panic attacks. In an attempt to cope, we may resort to unhealthy strategies such as substance misuse. Stress can also strain our relationships if we become overwhelmed and take our frustration out on others. 

We are all unique individuals, which means that no two people experience stressors in the same way. Some coping strategies may be effective for some people, while others may find them unhelpful. Ultimately stress is an unavoidable part of life, so it’s important to discover and implement stress management techniques that work best for you.

Coping with stress

Developing good ways to cope with stress will help manage or reduce distress. Here are some beneficial approaches:

  • Practice mindfulness – recognizing when your body is responding to stress can be helpful. Noticing when an event activates physical reactions such as increased heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea can help bring awareness to your body. You can also practice mindfulness of what types of situations are likely to trigger a stress response to help keep you mentally alert and prepared.
  • Find methods of relaxation – taking part in activities you enjoy during stressful events to help foster positivity. Try breathing exercises to help slow the heart rate and signal to the brain that it can decrease the production of stress hormones.
  • Set goals – Setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-limited goals (“SMART” goals) can help alleviate stress, keeping us in action towards managing a stressful event while creating boundaries so that we don’t overexert ourselves. Goals can be a motivator that helps make acute stress feel manageable.
  • Self-care – During stressful events, practicing self-care through activities like massage, yoga, and meditation can help restore a sense of calm, even if just temporarily. For lasting benefits, it’s important to integrate self-care into our daily routines, recognizing that different cultures may have their own self-care practices that resonate with individuals.
  • Seek the assistance of a professional – When stress feels unmanageable and is creating panic attacks, depression, or other health problems, seek the advice of a mental health professional. Therapy can be a necessary and helpful tool in learning to cope with chronic stress factors and preventing distress. Remember that various cultures may have different perspectives on mental health, so finding a professional who respects and understands your cultural background can enhance the therapeutic experience.

Resources

References

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