If you have stress symptoms, taking steps to manage your stress can have many health benefits. Explore stress management strategies, such as:
getting regular physical activity
practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi or massage
keeping a sense of humor
spending time with family and friends
setting aside time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music
aim to find active ways to manage your stress.
Inactive ways to manage stress — such as watching television, surfing the internet or playing video games — may seem relaxing, but they may increase your stress over the long term. And be sure to get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
No matter how much you’ve been looking forward to it, retiring from work can bring stress as well as benefits. Escaping the daily grind and a long commute can seem like a great relief at first. But after a few months you may miss the sense of identity, meaning, and purpose that came with work, the structure it gave your days, and the social aspect of having co-workers. To help you through the stress of retirement , there are healthy ways to make adjustments and deal with this major life change.
This type of stress develops over a long period and is more harmful. Ongoing poverty, a dysfunctional family, or an unhappy marriage are examples of situations that can cause chronic stress. It occurs when a person can see no way to avoid their stressors and stops seeking solutions. A traumatic experience early in life may also contribute to chronic stress. Chronic stress makes it difficult for the body to return to a normal level of stress hormone activity, which can contribute to immune reproductive a constant state of stress can also increase a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
When should I talk to a doctor about stress?
Stress is a part of life. What matters most is how you handle it. The best thing you can do to prevent stress overload and the health consequences that come with it is to know your stress symptoms. If you or a loved one is feeling overwhelmed by stress, talk to your doctor.
Many symptoms of stress can also be signs of other health problems. Your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and rule out other conditions. If stress is to blame, your doctor can recommend a therapist or counselor to help you better handle your stress.
“too often, people consider their stress as almost separate from their health,” blaha says. If you’re struggling with any kind of stress, recognize that it can have harmful consequences. These steps can help you protect your heart during stressful times: get professional advice. Discuss your stress levels with your health care provider. This is especially important if you have other risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity or high blood pressure, blaha says. Sometimes, just talking with your doctor can convince you to change your lifestyle. Let stress motivate you. Turn stress into a reason to exercise instead of using it as an excuse to avoid physical activity, blaha recommends.
What makes us stressed?
Stress can have several effects on your health and well-being. It can make it more challenging to deal with life's daily hassles, affect your interpersonal relationships, and have detrimental effects on your health. The connection between your mind and body is apparent when you examine stress's impact on your life. Feeling stressed over a relationship, money, or living situation can create physical health issues. The inverse is also true. Health problems, whether you're dealing with high blood pressure or diabetes , will also affect your stress level and mental health. When your brain experiences high degrees of stress , your body reacts accordingly.
Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s what helped our hunter-gatherer ancestors survive, and it’s just as important in today’s world. It can be healthy when it helps you avoid an accident, meet a tight deadline, or keep your wits about you amid chaos. We all feel stressed at times, but what one person finds stressful may be very different from what another finds stressful. An example of this would be public speaking. Some love the thrill of it and others become paralyzed at the very thought. Stress isn’t always a bad thing, either. Your wedding day, for example, may be considered a good form of stress.
Headaches and migraines. When you are stressed, your muscles tense up. Long-term tension can lead to headache, migraine, and general body aches and pains. Tension-type headaches are common in women. 10 depression and anxiety. In the past year, women were almost twice as likely as men to have symptoms of depression. 11 women are more likely than men to have an anxiety disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. 12 research suggests that women may feel the symptoms of stress more or get more of the symptoms of stress than men. This can raise their risk of depression and anxiety.
This behavioral technique helps you learn stress reduction skills by providing information about muscle tension, heart rate and other vital signs as you attempt to relax. It’s used to gain control over certain bodily functions that cause tension and physical pain. Biofeedback can be used to help you learn how your body responds in stressful situations, and how to cope better. If a headache, such as a migraine, begins slowly, many people can use biofeedback to stop the attack before it becomes full-blown. If you’re interested in any of these techniques, ask your healthcare provider for more information or other suggestions they may have.
Everyone deals with stress differently — it can depend on your personality and how you respond to pressure. Stress can affect how you feel both emotionally and physically, as well as how you behave. Here are some common stress symptoms and signs to look out for. Mental effects and emotional signs of stress can include feeling: constantly worried grinding teeth or clenching your jaw having sexual problems or not enjoying sex anymore if you have periods, they may become disrupted stress can also make some other health conditions worse. These include irritable bowel syndrome , migraine, asthma and skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
Signs of stress building up include: not being able to sleep properly with worries going through your mind. Minor problems causing you to feel impatient or irritable. Not being able to concentrate due to many things going through your mind. Being unable to make decisions. Drinking or smoking more.