Stress Management
Stress can be a normal production that occurs when life gets hectic, but there is a difference between healthy stress and stress that affects daily functioning. Healthy Stress creates a sense of urgency that can motivate you to work toward your goals. Healthy stress is short lived and cause you to act, rather than freeze up. Unhealthy stress can be short-term or chronic and affects everyone different in negative ways, and may keep us from moving forward.
Watch this video (Mental Health Collaborative, 2020) to learn more about Healthy vs. Unhealthy responses to stress.
A stress-free life is unrealistic and unhelpful. Stress is a natural response to our experiences and can be motivational. It is important know ourselves enough to recognize when unhealthy stress is taking a toll on our body.
Stress comes when you feel like you cannot control your environment and effectively handle the tasks to move forward. You may feel stressed when you don’t think you have enough time to get all of your work done or feel nervous before an important match or performance. Stress can cause changes in your mood, appetite, and concentration. Other Physical symptoms of stress include muscle tightness, tightness in chest, fatigue, upset stomach, headache or acne. Stress is different for everyone, so it is important to listen to your body!
Once you have identified that you are stressed and what is causing it, you can begin to manage it in a healthy way. Respond to the issue, don't ignore it. Consider some of these actions in your stress management routine: