Identify and Manage Your Stress for Stress Awareness Month

Did you know that increasing levels of stress can increase your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease? When your body is under stress, there is a surge of hormones, such as cortisol, which will increase blood pressure. Stress can also raise blood sugar levels, which can increase your risk of developing diabetes. Getting your stress levels under control is essential for your health, that is why April is Stress Awareness Month.

Stress not only impacts your body, but it can impact your mood as well as your behaviors. When you’re stressed, sometimes your mind can be moving a mile and minute and you may not even realize how much it is impacting your life. That is why it is essential to recognize and acknowledge symptoms of stress so that you can better control it.

Once you realize your body is under stress, you need to learn how to control it. What may work to lower stress in one person may not work for another. It is important to find what works for you and implement the technique as needed.

Signs and Symptoms

Given that prolonged stress on the body can lead to chronic diseases, recognizing signs and symptoms of it is imperative. You may experience some physiological changes and not even recognize that they are coming from stressors. If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, take a step back to identify the root of the problem.

Physical Changes: Your body under stress changes physically due to fluctuating hormone levels. Some of the physical changes that you may experience include headaches, lethargy, chest pain, aches, diminished sexual drive, and high blood pressure. This list is not all-inclusive, and stress can impact everyone’s body differently. That is why if you are experiencing any new symptoms you should talk with your doctor.

Mood Changes: Many people may be able to identify stress from changes to their mood. A common sign of stress in most people is an increase in anxiety levels. Some other changes that may occur include lack of motivation, feelings of being overwhelmed, anger, and restlessness. If you are feeling any of these symptoms it can be helpful to speak with a licensed professional to help with the management of these symptoms.

Behavior Changes: When people are under stress, they develop coping mechanisms to alleviate it, however, these are not always healthy behaviors. Signs of stress can be excessive alcohol consumption, overeating past the point of fullness, compulsive behaviors, social withdrawal, etc.

Managing Your Stress

There are some techniques that you can adapt to manage your stress before it becomes too consuming. However, you must reach out to a professional if you are feeling depressed or overwhelmed. Here are just a few ways that you can manage your stress levels:

Meditate: Find a quiet room in your home and reflect. You can use a guided app or video, or you can just reflect on your thoughts and feelings from the day.

Movement: Try to find a movement that makes you feel good. Exercise releases endorphins which can boost your mood.

Go for a walk: Sometimes you just need to step away from the problems that you are facing and clear your mind. A walk will help you relax by increasing endorphin levels and allowing you time to meditate.

Journaling: It can be cathartic to write down all your feelings, ideas, and thoughts on paper. You can carry around a small notebook or use an app on your phone to write down how you are feeling at the moment.

Go to bed early: Your body may need some extra time to sleep and recover. Go to bed early and turn off all your devices to ensure you get a good night’s rest.

Some of these techniques may not work for you, and that’s okay. That is why it is important to consult a professional to help you find a management technique that works. By raising awareness of stress, you can help fight it. If you are someone who turns to food as a stress relief, consider counseling on ways to stress less and eat less. For more information check out my website: dietfreeradiantme.

Your Turn to Action: What are some ways that you manage stress? Let me know in the comments below.