Stress Awareness Month

April has been designated Stress Awareness Month. Let’s take a moment and evaluate our lives.

Have you been feeling down in the dumps a little more lately? Would someone describe you as a hot-tempered because of your high irritability levels? Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, or sadness for no apparent reason? There are many reasons and causes for moodiness and other emotional afflictions, and today we are going to talk about one possible culprit: stress. Take a moment to reflect on the kinds and amounts of stress that may be in your life.

Stress can come from all directions including our relationships, our employers, our work environment, and/or our finances. In fact, a recent report by the American Psychological Association found that the greatest factor of stress Americans face right now is the national inflation. Some stressors we can control, like committing to too many projects or allowing ourselves to put too much on our plates at one time. However, others we simply can’t, like the rising inflation rates. Unfortunately, many of the stronger stressors in our lives are those which we have no influence over.

So, what can we do? Well, we must first recognize where our stress is coming from. Consider making a list of your own stressors. Physically writing them down can help you recognize the smaller stressors without solely focusing on the bigger ones. Secondly, we must acknowledge the fact that our bodies are equipped to handle stress. It can help us become more alert and energized. However, when stress piles up (yep, the smaller stressors really are important too!) or when it remains to where we experience chronic stress, then our bodies start to fail. This includes our mental state.

This month here at Brain Builder Pros we will be focusing on how stress affects our mental health and cognition, and the many ways in which we can cope when experiencing excessive amounts of stress. Take the first steps today by evaluating your body. Are you physically feeling your stress? Some of the common symptoms include:

• headaches
• dizziness
• shaking
• trouble sleeping
• digestive problems
• general aches and pains
• muscle tensions
• a feeling of pressure in the chest

While it is impossible to eliminate stress, with the proper tools we can manage it. You have already taken the first step if you have identified your stressors, small and great. Do you struggle with the “too much to do and too little time” problem? Begin to conquer the stress stemming from feeling overwhelmed by acknowledging the positive things you have done or what you have accomplished today. If you haven’t gotten to your entire list, stop thinking about all you have left to do and take a moment to celebrate what you have done. It’s a little thing, but if you consciously devote simply 5 minutes of focusing only on the positives, your body can have a moment to relax and allow the stress to fade.

Another thing you can do is check back in for our next installment as we continue to discuss stress and stress management this month.

References:

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/march-2022-survival-mode

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress