A Look At Stress

Stress Isn’t All Bad 

Positive stress can act as a motivator to accomplish goals. Most people have some control over the stressors that have negative affects.

Acute Stress 

• Immediate physical response/fight or flight.
• Severe acute stress can happen after a traumatic event.
• Episodic acute stress – acute stress that happens frequently

Chronic Stress

• Acute stress that hasn’t been resolved.
• Stems from problems like poverty, job dissatisfaction, unhappy marriage, family life.
• Can cause serious health issues like heart disease, depression, and suicide.

Who Gets Stressed?

• Everyone – stress is part of the human experience.
• Certain populations are at higher risk of stress.
• People with poor health/health-related issues report the most stress (in US).

Positive Stress 

• Physical Benefits
  • Athletic performance​
  • Pre-game ‘butterflies’ motivational​
• Mental Benefits
  • Keep head clear and focused​
  • Help to think clearly​
• Social Benefits 
  • Job interviewing​
  • Nervousness may keep you engaged in conversation, etc.

Negative Stress

• Physical Distress
  • Fatigue, muscle soreness, compromised immune system, headaches, stomach aches​
• Emotional Distress
  • Irritability, feeling of ‘loss of control’, anxiety, depression
• Social Distress
  • Loss of friendships or relationships, conflict with others, poor relationships with partners, friends, family, dropping grades in school

Stress Not Addressed…

The consequences of not managing stress:

• Mental health problems
• Chemical health
• Problems at work
• Relationship problems
• Addictive behaviors
• Other behavioral problems

Common responses to negative stress

• Disbelief, shock, and numbness
• Feeling sad, frustrated, and helpless
• Fear and anxiety about the future
• Feeling guilty
• Anger, tension, and irritability
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Crying
• Reduced interest in usual activities
• Wanting to be alone
• Loss of appetite
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Nightmares or bad memories
• Reoccurring thoughts of the event
• Headaches, back pains
• Stomach problems
• Increased heart rate
• Difficulty breathing
• Smoking or use of alcohol/drugs

Steps to Managing Stress

Identify Stressors

• Identify your stressors or triggers – remember to include positive events like buying a house.

Find Solutions

• List possible solutions to tackle your problems. If you can’t change your stressor – change how you react to it.

Ask For Help 

• You don’t have to do it alone. Friends and family are in our lives to support us – ask for help.

Maintain Healthy Lifestyle 

• Develop and maintain positive healthy lifestyle choices to help prevent stress.

Develop a Support Network 

• Invest in creating a circle of friends and people you can trust and rely on in times of need.