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Stress Management
Knowledge Center

Stress Management

March 26, 2020
Stressed woman at her cluttered desk at her office

Stress is how the brain and body respond to demands and pressures including a challenge at work, school or in sports, daily responsibilities, a life change, or a traumatic event. Stress signals the body to prepare to face the demand or flee to safety. Does stress affect health? How can you manage stress?

 

Stress is how the brain and body respond to demands and pressures including a challenge at work, school or in sports, daily responsibilities, a life change, or a traumatic event. Stress signals the body to prepare to face the demand or flee to safety. Does stress affect health? How can you manage stress?

 

Acute stress is a normal part of everyday life. The stress hormone response system keeps us on the ball and helps our mind and body to react and deal with stressors. Acute stress disorderis characterized by symptoms that occur within one month after exposure to a stressor including anxiety, dissociation, sleeplessness, irritability, poor concentration, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and restlessness. The activated stress response system increases heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and decreases immune responses.

 

Repeated exposure to stressful situations may cause chronic stress that leads to the release of stress hormones. Constant chronic stress and an overactivated stress response system have been linked to immune system disorders, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, and depression.

 

Watch for signs of response signals to stress, such as difficulty sleeping, increased alcohol and other substance use, easily provoked anger, depression, and exhaustion. If you feel overstressed, seek help from your healthcare provider, psychologist, psychiatrist, emotional therapist, or DOC pain management physician and physical therapist, and discuss stressors, symptoms and treatment options. Coping suggestions to effectively, and not self destructively, deal with stress include:

 

  • Exercise daily. Walk 30 minutes per day to boost your mood and improve your health.

  • Join meditation or yoga classes which incorporate breathing exercises.

  • Be mindful of your accomplishments and set realistic goals.

  • Keep in touch with friends and family for emotional support and help.

 

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and other research facilities across the country are studying the causes and effects of psychological stress as well as stress management techniques. To learn more about studies that are recruiting, visit ClinicalTrials.gov and enter stress as the condition.

Source

Centre for Studies on Human Stress

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