By Caroline C., Consultant and Lead OA Stress. It’s what most people are feeling to a certain extent, now more than ever. With so much unknown in the world due to COVID-19 and its impacts on regular life, I have noticed an increased tendency to feel overwhelmed, anxious, afraid, angry, sad, or disconnected. Stress is a word thrown around by many people that can describe a lot of different feelings. But really, what is stress?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress is your body’s physiological response to a situation. The NIMH also explains that when your mind and body perceive a situation to be dangerous or threatening, your body reacts by heightening hormone levels and increasing circulatory and respiratory activity to help you survive. In my own experience, I have found that this can actually be helpful if I need to escape a dangerous situation or boost my motivation to meet a deadline. But I have definitely experienced the negative effects of long-term, built-up stress. I’ve noticed symptoms such as a weakened immune system (which can be a risk-factor for developing other health problems). Essentially, built-up stress disturbs my body’s normal way of functioning. If I’m operating under stress all the time, my body doesn’t have a way to reset to its natural rhythms. For a healthy lifestyle, managing my stress is very important. The NIMH states that the body’s physiological response to a perceived threat is to prepare for a survival response such as fighting or fleeing, that energy is present in the body regardless of whether you actually need to expend it. To cope with the physical aspect of stress on my body, I like to first take notice of changes in my breathing, pulse, heart rate, etc. Also, I try to pay attention to irregularities in my sleep, digestion, and any unpleasant emotions. These symptoms can indicate that my body is experiencing a stress response. Although I may not always be able to do so right away, planning to do a short walk, run, or other physical activity allows my body to release stress more easily and return to its normal state. However, physical activity is just one way I’m able to cope with my body’s stress response. The stress I am experiencing now, along with many other people I know, currently looks different than usual and can impact our emotional state of being more severely. During this time, there are a lot of reasons you might feel stressed. Whether it’s a work deadline, homework and class expectations, family and home responsibilities, or achieving goals that you planned for, it can all add up. That’s not to mention the overriding stress of COVID-19 and your ability to stay healthy, take care of your family members, neighbors, and friends, keep or find a job, pass classes, and pay important bills such as rent. This is a kind of stress-causing situation that I, along with most people, have never dealt with before. Since health is on the forefront of everyone’s minds these days, I want to emphasize that stress management is an excellent way to take care of ourselves (in addition to following health guidelines respective to where you live). Being aware of my stress and addressing it does not only help get my body’s normal functions back on track, it also helps with my mood and gives me a sense of clarity or calmness. Some of the following strategies for managing stress have been helpful to me during this time, and you may find them inspiring as you confront various unique challenges during this time.
Reference: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml
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January 2024
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