Feeling Stressed? There might be something you can do about it
With all that is going on around us and the busy lives that we lead, we all feel stressed from time to time. Small doses of stress are okay, but when stress becomes frequent and intense, it can start to take a negative toll on many aspects of our lives as well as our mental and physical health.
So what is stress actually doing to our bodies?
Stress can trigger the release of hormones called cortisol and adrenaline which help us cope with stressful or even dangerous situations. Our bodies have evolved to allow us to survive – think “fight or flight”. There’s a tiger in front of you? You better act fast to save your life! However, when stress becomes chronic, having these hormones triggered on a regular basis can take a toll on our bodies. Chronic stress can increase our risk of heart disease, can create digestive problems, sleep problems, and can contribute to the development of anxiety and depression. Stress can also impact how we relate to our loved ones.
There’s something you can do about it
That’s the good news. There are ways of coping, managing, and limiting stress in our lives. The bad news? Some of the most effective ways of managing stress are probably what you don’t want to hear:
Eat better
Sleep better
Move more
Doing these three things can benefit you in the following ways – eating healthy food ensures you are getting the nutrients you need for your body and brain in order to cope with stressful situations. Getting enough sleep helps your body and brain and brings much needed recovery, and exercise will help manage stress by releasing ‘feel-good’ endorphins such as serotonin and dopamine.
I’m sure you’re thinking “easier said than done!” You betcha! No one said this would be easy. It takes hard work. BUT! Can you commit to making a small change that might lead to bigger changes and a big impact down the road? What can you commit to today that can lead to improved eating, sleeping, or levels of exercise tomorrow? No matter how big or small, a change is still a change and that’s great.
Other ways to manage stress might include being social, doing what you love to do, or setting better boundaries at home or at work. Try to avoid unhealthy stuff like alcohol or drugs. They may feel good in the moment, but they create more problems down the road.
Seek support
Sometimes people feel that in addition to their own established strategies and coping skills, seeking professional support is also beneficial. Engaging in therapy with a mental health professional can have a positive impact on your mental health and help you gain insight and strategies to continue dealing with day to day challenges that can sometimes seem overwhelming. If you think professional support would be beneficial to you, we’d be happy to help. Please feel free to reach out.
Wondering if you’re too stressed? The Canadian Mental Health Association has a good checklist to see how stressed you might be (it’s not a scientific test, but can give us some insight into how we are doing). Give it a try to see where you’re at.