What is stress?

Stress is how we react when we feel under pressure or threatened. It activates our fight or flight response. It usually pops up when we feel out of control or lack control.

Being prepared for periods of stress can make it easier to get through them. We all experience stress. However, too much stress can have major impact on our physical and mental well being. It is important to manage our wellbeing so we can recover after a stressful event. Our ability to manage stress is tied to our resilience. How resilient are you?

Around three-quarters of adults (76%) said they have experienced health impacts due to stress in the prior month, including headache (38%), fatigue (35%), feeling nervous or anxious (34%), and/or feeling depressed or sad (33%).

Adults with a higher average stress level were more likely than those with a lower average stress level to report experiencing headache (59% vs. 20%), fatigue (57% vs. 15%), feeling nervous or anxious (56% vs. 12%), and feeling depressed or sad (57% vs. 10%) due to stress in the past month.

(Source: APA commissioned Harris Poll 2022)

A good stress management program equips you will tools to navigate life's stressors. Stress won't disappear from your life. And stress management needs to be an ongoing practice. Pay attention to what causes your stress and practice relaxation techniques. My favorite is 4X4 breathing. There are plenty of great YouTube examples. By reducing your stress level you can improve your quality of life, ability to focus, and have more meaningful relationships. This isn't something you have to navigate alone. Using a helping professional like a counselor, you can quickly hone in on your stress triggers and have a plan of action ready when they throw you a curve ball.