How does stress affects us psychologically?

[Rida.Tahir9]

Stress has multiple ways of affecting us psychologically. Even worse, it has power to completely turn our lives around and bring us down within days. Stress causes our brain to malfunction, which then results in our body and minds reacting to it. Multiple psychological disorders take place in us as a result of stress, and that can prove to be fatal for our lives.

Psychological effects of stress on a human body and mind:

Stress affects us in multiple ways. There are various psychological effects of stress on a human body and mind that end up disturbing various aspects of our lives. Some of those effects are mentioned below:

Effects of stress on professional life:

A professional life requires us to do our best in a workplace and maintain the workplace efficiency. To know how stress affects us psychologically, one should know that it makes us lose all of our motivation and have us lag behind our peers. Every worker or an employee is expected to work hard, stay motivated, and do their best to make their company and efforts a success. However, a stressed person can actually lose their job due to the factors caused by it. For example, a single mother works in a reputable firm and is a great employee. Unfortunately, she has been stuck with some paperwork for her divorce which is stressing her out badly. This caused her to worry a lot about her current situation which has slowly pulled her into depression. Due to that, she feels hopeless, upset, demotivated, and lethargic most of the times. Her performance has declined in her workplace and her boss is not at all happy with her.

Summary: Situations like these affect professional lives a lot, which in result takes a toll on both mental health and workplace efficiency. Stress is more than just worrying about something, it is a whole process which slowly decays a person’s life.

Effects of stress on personal life:

Human beings are interlinked with all sorts of personal relationships. At home, we siblings, parents, or other relatives. Outside of home, we are friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and partners. Everyone who is linked with us, maintains some sort of relationship with us. Such relationships help keep us happy, accepted, connected, and loved. And all of these happy relationships can be affected if stress takes place in our lives. If we don’t deal with stress immediately, it can go on to destroy our personal life in a way that we can damage or even break those bonds as a result of multiple symptoms of psychological issues.

For example, stress can cause symptoms of anxiety in a person. And one of the symptoms of anxiety is to withdraw from social situations due to feeling overwhelmed or panicked. Social anxiety can be triggered in a group of people as well. Due to that, that person might stop hanging out with their friends or stay in touch with them which can result in weakened friendships. A stressed person can also be a bad partner

which can cause them to weaken their relationship with the ones they love.

Summary: Stress has a bigger role in affecting a personal life so this is how does stress affects us psychologically. It is better and wiser to get it sorted sooner.

Effects of stress on academic life:

Our academic lives have been one heck of a hectic one. We all must have remembered the amount of pressure that were on us from both the instructors and our parents to perform stunningly well. The pressure to be the best in class may have caused us to carry more burden than we could. This kind of issue is how does stress affects us psychologically and could render a student to mess up their performance in struggle of being the best. Moreover, other issues can also cause stress in a student which is why their focus in studies gets massively hindered.

For example, a girl who is a fairly good student lives in an abusive household where her parents fight a lot. She keeps witnessing all sorts of domestic and verbal violence in her home and that affects her mind a lot. The stress of her parents fighting distracts her from studies and she no longer scores well. Her low grades disappoint both her teachers and parents. While they may hold her responsible for not studying hard enough, the real cause of her lacking is yet to be addressed.

Summary: People often forget how badly one’s domestic issues affect their children and hinder their performance in school.

Is stress a risk to our lives?

Yes, stress can cause a huge risk to our lives if it is not dealt with properly. Multiple stressors in the environment can cause multiple issues in us both physically and psychologically, and some of them could even be life threatening. We often take stress lightly by calling it temporary or just a bad situation that worries us. The truth is, it slowly makes way into our body, triggers our brain, which then causes multiple psychological issues to take place. Many stressful situations have landed people in the hospital due to it affecting them more than anyone else.

Summary: Stress allows our brain to go through too much in a little time. Not only it allows a perfectly stable person to develop psychological symptoms (which can also affect them severely), it causes them to develop brain and heart issues as well.

Stress can cause high blood pressure which can clog arteries. A little bit of trigger can cause a heart attack. Stress also affects the brain, which then causes memory loss in a person. It took a long and hard way for people to finally realize that it is more than just a temporary stressful situation answered how does stress affects us psychologically in detail.

Final thoughts:

Our mind and body are interlinked with each other. Whatever the mind goes through, the body follows. When stress takes place in a person, they should immediately work to resolve it since giving it a place in us can trigger a lot of psychological problems. While it is mentioned above in detail about how badly stress affects us psychologically, you can still do your own research and educate yourself on this matter. So the next time you feel stressed, you know exactly what to do with it rather than just letting it reside in you and slowly cause the damage.

Also visit these links:
How does stress affects us psychologically?
What is cognitive psychology?
What is a positive psychological response to stress?
What is a Diathesis Stress Model of Psychology?
Get to know the psychological symptoms of stress.
Psychological effects of stress on a human body and mind.

FAQs :

Q1: What is psychological stress?
A: It is the emotional toll or pain that causes a person to feel worried or panicked.

Q2: How does stress affect your mind?
A: Stress affects the mind by having it clouded with worries and concerns, which in result impairs judgement and disturbs various aspects of life.

Q3: What are some mental effects of stress?
A : The mental effects of stress are symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sometimes aggression as well.

[khawaja_hanzala]

What is stress?

Stress is a feeling of relation of your body to different events and happenings. How does stress affects you psychologically? Stress is a mental, physical and emotional stress which causes tension. Stress is the sagacity of pressure and your body’s response to that pressure. Stress in psychology is emotional pressure and strain. It’s a kind of a psychological pain.

What are the 3 types of stress?

Although there are many types of stress terms and its a lot more complicated to know about stress conduct but we discuss few types here:

• Acute Stress - Acute stress is the most common type of stress. It can be exciting but too much will be born-tired. Its the stress of recent happenings, of past events and of future thinkings.

• Episodic Stress - Episodic stress is the long-term form of acute stress. In this, victims suffer over arousal and over tensioned situations. They always remain in stress in episodes like they will always think World is full of bad people, efforts in world are useless and this world in ‘awful’.

• Chronic Stress - It’s the most dangerous form of stress. Other types of stress will not effect you mentally but chronic stress in not enjoyable. It can disturb your mind and make you go away day by day and year after year you will feel more pressure and stress.

What are the causes of Stress?

Modern day stress depends on much more things that they are difficult to describe in words. In this advance world, the life has changed and the parameters of life also has changed due to technology. So, tensions and stress has also increased in this fast world.

Some of few causes are:

• Work stress

• Financial issue

• Relationship failures

• Study failure

• Unemployment

There are lot more issues which causes permanent stress and have negative impacts on our minds, soul and physical bodies. it can also have bad effects on our muscles, brain tissues and cells.

Is stress good or bad?

Stress is a word which seems to be irritating and is a kind of disturbed word. But sometimes stress is helpful for us. For example; if your papers are near, then you have to take stress to complete your studies on time.

Similarly, positive stress helps you to maintain yourself strong and also for motivation. But if stress exceed limits, then its dangerous as i have discussed above.

What is treatment of stress?

As we know stress is not of one type and it is not similar in individuals. So its treatment is also different. Many stress condition do not require treatment, but if you have medical issues then it requires proper treatment.

So here are some treatments;

If you are having sleeping restriction due to stress, then doctor may prescribe you sleeping pills for proper sleep.

If you are having physical issues like high BP, then doctor may prescribe you medication and antipressants for anxiety.

How does stress affect your body?

Normally, stress affects your body and disturbs your health physically and mentally. Your thoughts are often stressful which give you more complexity and tension. Normal stress can be recognized and is able to clear those normal stress systems because it also affects your behavior. If you do not recognize your stress level and condition, then you may suffer from more stress which leads to hypertension.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stress is a mental illness and lot of people are worry about stress and ask many questions about stress and its psychological affects, which are;

Can stress make you physically ill?

Stress affects you physically and mentally. Stress can cause headaches, upset stomach and can also make your immune system weak. This are the disorders of stress which affects us physically. Sometimes when you are having chronic stress, there are chance that common cold virus may make you sick.

How can I relax from stress?

There are many ways of relaxing from stress. We’ll show some methods to reduce stress;

• Take warm bath to relax tense muscles

• Listen soul touching music

• Take deep breath slowly to relax

• Go with stress relaxing exercises like yoga

• Write down your feelings on paper to get relief from feeling’s pressure

• Use imaginary guidance to settle stress down

Can stress make you lose weight?

Conditions in stress vary from person to person and also vary from situation to situation. Stress makes the health of some people down because they lost the desire to eat and drink in stress situations. In other conditions, some people select wrong meals due to bad mood and they may gain weight. That’s why stress can make you loss your weight or gain your weight.

Conclusion

How does stress affects us psychologically? We concluded that stress badly affects us psychologically. It can causes serious disorders like headaches, hypertension, heart failures and many other problems in the functioning of the body. We should keep ourselves as possible as away from stress to make ourselves happy and healthy.

Related Topics

What is Diathesis Stress Model of Psychology?

What is heart failure?

How to get rid of Depression?

[Zaranaveed]

@khawaja_hanzala

Is stress good or bad?

In this era of the 21st century, every second person is dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression. But where this stress comes from? How does it affect our mental health? Is stress good or bad? What are the types? Is stress a risk to our lives? What are the reasons behind getting stress? These are the major questions that make everyone worry.

What is stress?

Stress is the natural response of a human being to any condition or demand. This condition can be a sudden tense situation, or any demand, like your performance at your school, workplace, or anywhere else.

Stress is really bad for our health, as it affects both the physical and mental condition of the human body. In the beginning, it is easy to do away with stress. But if you don’t pay attention, and ignore it, it can undermine a human brain and can cause the worst conditions.

Examples of stress:

From normal to critical situations, stress can happen anywhere, anytime. Some examples of stress are below:

• Getting married without your choice
• Nights before the exam
• Emotional problems
• Moving to a new place
• Death of any loved one
• Family politicians
• Being over-emotional
• Financial problems or losing your job
• Relationship problems
• Usage of drugs
• Imbalance diet, like too much eating or not eating at all
• Sleeping disorders

Following are some important things that everyone should know about stress:

1. Is stress bad or good?

Stress is something that can affect you in both ways, like positive and negative. A little stress about something like about your job, about your work, is a kind of good as it keeps you motivate and attentive about something.

Short-term stress is really beneficial, as it knocks your brain, increases your potential, and makes you emotionally strong and concerned.

But if your stress is too long and stays for weeks and months, then it’s really an alarming sign.

Long-term stress can cause severe mental and physical problems like heart diseases, emotional attacks, asthma, anxiety, blood problems.

Stress is so damaging that it can even affect your body parts. It causes some people to turn their hands and some people to lose their ability to speak.

2. Does stress affect everyone?

People of any age face stress from time to time. It can affect you anytime. For some people, it can stay for a brief interval of time. But stress can stay for the long term too, or it can happen repeatedly from interval to interval.

So it doesn’t matter if stress affects everyone, or it stays for a long or short time. The thing to concern about is how you deal with your stress. People who are really apprehensive about their mental health, and cope with it powerfully, easily get rid of it and recover promptly as compare to others.

3. What are the physical effects of stress?

Long-term stress makes you sick physically. It causes several diseases and can make a person physically disabled. Physical stress can cause the worst conditions if you don’t deal with it properly.

Here are some physical effects of stress:

• weak eyesight
• Grinding teeth
• Turning of hands
• cold hands and feet
• Joint strain
• chest pain
• insomnia
• fast heart beating
• dry breathing
• digestion disorders
• less energy
• gritted jaws

Else of these, stress can even harm your ■■■■■ senses like hearing, tasting, and breathing. You may feel weak physically. Physical stress can be treated by taking proper diet and sleep.

4. What are the mental effects of stress?

Although, physical stress is dangerous, however, mental stress can cause more severe and alarming conditions. Usually, long-term stress ends up making you mentally ill.

Below are some mental effects of stress:

• Lack of confidence
• Shyness and nervousness
• Easily getting irritated and disturbed
• Blaming yourself
• Being alone and avoiding people
• No self-control
• Over-whelmed reactions
• Low self-esteem
• Depression, anxiety, and mental attacks

Physical illness can be easily treated with the help of diet and treatment. But mental stress is somehow difficult to deal with. You must have to make your mind, should be encouraged and energized enough to cope up with mental breakups.

5. What are the cognitive effects of stress?

Short-term stress normally affects cognitive problems. These problems are not a big issue, but sometimes they are kind of irritating, weaken you emotionally, and harm your emotional stability.

Here are some cognitive effects of stress:

• Memory loss, like forgetting people’s names and faces.
• State of confusion
• Deficiency of co-ordination
• Losing your attention
• Negative thinking
• Disorganization
• Peer decisions
• Battling thoughts

Cognitive stress may happen after middle age. For higher age people, like age limit from 7-0 and above are more likely to affect by cognitive stress. For old people can cause risky conditions like severe medical problems and mental disorders.

Cognitive stress can be treated by regular exercises, like morning and evening walks, yoga, deep breathing, and other refreshing activities.

Stress management techniques:

Here are some techniques, that can really help in maintaining your stress and mental health:

1. Exercise:

Exercising daily is key to a healthy body and brain. Even you don’t have any kind of stress, exercising is the first step for staying away from stressful situations.

You can select any exercise according to your interest and stamina, like yoga, cycling, bridges, and deep breathes. Outdoor games are the best ones as they keep you mentally active, energetic, and powerful along with physical as a bonus.

So people must adopt habits of daily exercise if they want to reduce stress. Exercise is the best regular dose of mental and physical stress.

2. Reduce the consumption of drugs and alcohols:

A large amount of drug intakes is the major cause of strength. People usually take drugs to relax. No doubt, drugs can make you feel relaxed and calm your mind, but these things are not really helpful to get rid of success.

There are many drugs available as anti-depressants but they are of no benefit. They can make you feel better for some time, but end up leaving the worst effects. Once you get into the habit of using anti-depressants, it becomes difficult to get rid of it.

So instead of taking these drugs, try to focus on other physical activities. They don’t have any side effects and can be really helpful in preventing stressful situations.

3. Proper diet:

Nutrition is the prior thing to maintain your mental as well as physical health. If you are active, exercising daily, and consuming enough nutrients, then there are fewer chances of mental stress or another physical disease.

A balanced diet keeps you healthy and strong, makes your brain’s performance batter, and helps you to face challenging situations with better stamina. It maintains your immune system, which prevents you from emotional attacks ad other mental disorders.

4. Meditation and breathing:

Meditation is a method that helps you to relax your mind and senses. It promotes relaxation by slowing down your heartbeat. During meditation, you concentrate on thoughtfulness, keeping your mind free of tense thoughts.

For centuries, meditation is helping people to throw away anxiety, depression, and stress. Deep breathing is also a kind of meditation that helps you to calm your breathing system.

Everyone should practice 10-15 minutes of meditation per day. Also, try to take deep breathes several times a day. It will surely help you to get rid of stress by calming your mind and brain.

5. Naps:

Nowadays, every second person has a hectic routine all day. Most people work 10-15 hours continuously which affects their mental health badly. So people must take short sleep gaps to rest their bodies and to relax their brains.

Afternoon naps are really a bonus for preventing stress. Everyone must take 20-30 minute naps that will enhance their physical and mental well -being.

6. Identify your stress type:

There are different types of stress. A person must know what kind of stress he/she is dealing with. Not all types of stress are bad for human health. Therefore one should have proper knowledge about his/her stress type. It will help you to treat your stress adequately.

So notice symptoms of your stress and then figure out your stress type. Not all stresses need to be cured by a therapist or psychiatrist. You can deal with it at your home place too. So before treating your stress, must notice what kind of stress you have.

Frequently asked questions

People usually ask a lot of questions about stress and mental illness. Here are some frequently asked questions

1. How do you know if you are having stress?

There are hundreds of symptoms that can help you to diagnose if you are depressed or not. Normal symptoms are panic attacks, laziness, imbalance of nutrition, irritability, and sick mental conditions.

But these symptoms vary from one kind to another with different intentions. The best method to diagnose stress is a proper appointment with a psychiatrist. So if you feel any symptom of stress, prepare yourself for an appointment and don’t feel hesitant for treating your stress.

2. What is the difference between stress and sleeping disorders?

Not consuming enough sleep hours affects your mental health badly. You feel lazy, demotivated, depressed, and tired. Chronic stress leads to excessive levels of cortisol that really creates a bad effect on your sleeping.

Most people use night pills to manage their sleeping hours. But pills are not a true solution. Instead of that, try to maintain healthy habits like exercising and nutrition. These are slow but long term solutions for preventing stress.

3. Do you sleep, when feeling depressed?

If someone is facing long-term stress that it can really create the worst effects on mental as well as physical health. For long term stress, daily based naps are a good dose. These naps will help you to calm your mind time by time. That’s really helpful in relaxing your mental stress.

On regular basis, if you ever feel tired or depressed, don’t forget to take a nap at that time. It will prevent you from severe and long-term stress. One must consume 6-7 hours while sleeping daily.

4. How to stop overeating when depressed?

Over-eating is really a bad thing that most people do after being depressed. So avoid over-eating whether you are depressed or not. It can create the worst conditions for your body.

Try to maintain a proper diet plan while considering maintenance calories. Avoid junk food and increase the intake of fresh fruit and veg juices. Don’t deprive yourself and always go for a walk after a heavy dinner or breakfast.

5. Does banana help with stress?

Potassium-rich foods are really helpful in preventing stress. Foods like banana, pumpkin seeds, coffee, and green tea are the best foods to relax your mind when feeling depressed. Coffee and green tea are really kind of bonus for preventing stress.

But don’t overtake these foods. You can take them twice a day as a regular diet. Access amount to these foods can create a negative effect on your mental and physical health.

Conclusion:

Stress is the in-built human response to any situation or condition. These conditions and situations can be both normal and dangerous ones. Not every stress is bad. Sometimes a little bit of stress keeps you energetic and motivated.

Stress affects a human being in different ways like physically, mentally, and emotionally. One must know how to treat all kinds of stresses. Different types of stresses need to be cured in different ways.

Everyone must adopt some healthy routines to maintain their physical and mental health. Exercise and proper diet is the best key to prevent stress. Before treatment, always try to know what kind of stress you have. It will help you to cure your stress in a better and proper way.

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[samia_naeem]

Stress is something everyone experiences. Despite being unpleasant, stress in itself is not an illness. But there are connections between stress and mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Stress has the ability to negatively impact our lives. It can cause physical conditions, such as headaches, digestive issues, and sleep disturbances.

It can also cause psychological and emotional strains, including confusion, anxiety, and depression. Stress is our built-in response to danger, a surge in hormones as we choose between fighting, fleeing, or freezing. The danger may be real or imagined, immediate or farther away; our bodies do not know the difference.

Summary
Research into stress, its causes, effects on the body and its links to mental health is vital. The more we understand stress, the better we can tackle it.

What are the effects of psychological stress?

It is no secret that the long-term effects of distress can damage our healthTrusted Source.
According to the American Psychological Association, untreated chronic stress, or stress that’s constant and lasts over an extended period of time, can be a cause of hypertension or high blood pressure or a weakened immune system.

Excess or chronic psychological stress is associated with an increased risk of mental and physical diseases, with several mechanisms theorized to be associated with its detrimental effects.
It can also contribute to the development of obesity, and heart failure.

Summary
Both acute and chronic stress can cause illness. According to many theories, both kinds of stress can lead to changes in behavior and in physiology. Behavioral changes can be smoking and eating habits and physical activity. Physiological changes can be changes in sympathetic activation or hypothalamic pituitary adreno corticoid activation, and immunological function. However, there is much variability in the link between stress and illness.

Long-term stress

Many situations can cause a stress response in the body. Changes at work, illness, accidents, problems with relationships, family, money or housing can all cause stress. Even seemingly small daily hassles like someone pushing in a queue can make us feel stressed. What links all these situations is that we are unable to predict and control what is happening to us, and so our body goes into a state of increased alertness. And these events can happen all the time - triggering the body’s stress response over and over again.

Chronic Stress

When the stress response becomes prolonged, the stress is considered as chronic stress. It has a very different effect to the short bursts that enhance the body’s abilities. In many cases, the system controlling the stress response is no longer able to return to its normal state. Attention, memory, and the way we deal with emotions are negatively impacted. This long-term stress can contribute to both physical and mental illness through effects on the heart, immune and metabolic functions, and hormones acting on the brain.

Some of the emotional and behavioural symptoms of stress overlap with those of mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. This can make it hard to distinguish where one begins and the other ends, or which came first.

Summary
Someone who is stressed may feel worried, down, unable to concentrate or make decisions, irritable and angry.

Fight or flight

Stress causes physical changes in the body. It increases heart rate and breathing. Muscles tense. Short-term memory becomes more effective. This stress response has evolved to keep us safe, as it prepares the body for ‘fight or flight’ when we sense danger. Research has also shown that thinking skills improve as stress increases. So in short bursts, stress can be a good thing. It can help us prepare for a sports match, job interview or exam. Usually, after a stressful event, the body returns to its normal state.

The biology of mental health and stress

Chronic stress increases the risk of developing depression and anxiety in some people. The precise mechanisms of how stress is linked to mental ill-health are being uncovered.

Scientists found that the earliest response to stress happens in the brain within seconds of perceiving a ‘stressor’. Chemicals which signal between nerve cells (neurotransmitters) are released. These include serotonin and adrenaline. Following this, stress hormones are released, which particularly affect areas of the brain key for memory and regulating emotions. Repeated stress changes how well these systems are able to control the stress response.

Researchers are also investigating how these systems are involved in anxiety and depression, suggesting a biochemical link between stress and mental illness. Recent studies have shown that long-term stress can change the structure of the brain, especially in areas supporting learning and memory.

Summary
Long term stress can affect both nerve cells (grey matter) and the connections between them (white matter). It is possible these changes, along with other factors, can increase the likelihood of developing mental illness.

What is the relationship between stress and mental health?

Another link between stress and mental health is the immune system. During the stress response, the immune system is activated, helping to keep us safe. But chronic stress and prolonged activation of the immune system could negatively affect how the brain functions.

A prolonged activation of the immune system is also linked to depression. Researchers are working to understand how this activation can lead to depression and other types of mental illness in some people. About 30% of people with depression have increased immune activity in the body. Researchers are also undertaking clinical trials to find out if anti-inflammatory drugs might be able to help people with this kind of depression.

Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

In some cases, short-term stress can also lead to a mental health condition. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after experience of an extremely traumatic or stressful event. Someone affected may experience vivid flashbacks or nightmares, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. The exact causes of the condition are not clear. Though some of the risk factors are understood.

State-of-the-art brain scanning has shown that, again, the areas of the brain particularly involved are the hippocampus and the amygdala. There is some evidence that the neurotransmitters and hormones involved in the normal stress response may become disrupted during and after the traumatic event.

Summary
Research has shown that the amygdala, which processes fear, is hyperactive in people with PTSD, perhaps creating a kind of “false alarm”. Continued research offers the promise of new treatments for PTSD in the future.

What are the signs of psychological stress?

There’s a distinction between a stressor and actual stress. A stressor can be a person, place, or situation that’s causing you stress. Stress is the actual response to one or a combination of those stressors.

There are any number of situations that can cause stress. Some of the more common stressors include:

• relationship conflicts at home
• new or increasing work responsibilities
• increasing demands
• financial strain
• loss of a loved one
• health problems
• moving to a new location
• exposure to one or more traumatic incidents, such as a car accident or a violent crime

Some of the more common physical, psychological, and emotional signs of chronic stress include:

• rapid heart rate
• elevated blood pressure
• feeling overwhelmed
• fatigue
• difficulty sleeping
• poor problem-solving
• fear that the stressor won’t go away
• persistent thoughts about one or more stressors
• changes in behavior, including social withdrawal, feelings of sadness, frustration, loss of emotional control, inability to rest, and self-medication

Summary
Knowing how to spot the signs of stress is the first step in developing ways to manage its adverse effects.

The Role Stress Plays in Life

Stress was designed to protect us in certain scenarios. When we are under real threat, stress serves as a boost to the system that helps us physically fight against or escape a situation. When stress is a problem, it appears even when the individual is not under any imminent threat.

Managing Stress

Patients can work in tandem with therapists to learn more about the role stress plays in their lives. They can then work with that specialist to develop techniques that help them cope with and manage stress.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Stress Management

Also known as CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most common and successful interventions for managing stress. Patients use CBT to identify the negative thoughts and behaviors they experience, then work with a therapist to employ coping strategies. By reframing their thoughts and eliminating negative behaviors, patients can reduce stress’ impact in their lives to a significant degree.

Life Style Changes When Managing Stress

Mental health experts often recommend certain lifestyle changes for patients learning to manage their stress. Changes such as exercising more, delegating responsibilities to others, and finding healthy outlets can all help a patient manage their stress more effectively.

What are the ways to manage stress?

When it comes to managing stress, making simple changes can go a long way in improving your overall health and reducing stress. Having tools and strategies we can turn to in stressful situations can prevent our stress levels from escalating.

• Find a balance

It is important to structure some of your time so that you can be comfortably busy without being overwhelmed, Brown says. “Working hard does not usually equate with working efficiently,” he said. In fact, working too much can reduce productivity.

• Be kind to yourself

Understanding that you are not weak because you are feeling stress is important, Brown says. Stress is a very normal reaction to the stressors in your life.

• Lean on the people you trust

Before your stress levels escalate, reach out to someone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or coworker. Sharing your feelings or venting your concerns may help to reduce your stress.

• Keep a journal

Set aside time to reflect on your day. Write down any thoughts or feelings you’re having. This can be a useful tool to help you better understand your stressors and how you react to stress, Brown says.

• Eat well-balanced, regular meals

When it comes to managing stress, proper nutrition is your friend. Skipping meals can lower your blood sugar, which can depress your mood. In some cases, this can also trigger intense feelings of anger and frustration, Brown says.

• Exercise regularly

Engaging in regular physical activity can improve your overall health and reduce your stress levels. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These feel-good hormones can also ease symptoms of depression and anxiety.

• Get plenty of rest

Your ability to manage stress decreases when you’re tired. Try to get a recommended seven to nine hours each night. If you have insomnia, aim to get as much sleep as you can, then build in periods of rest during the day.

• Practice relaxation exercises

These exercises, which can include deep, slow breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, involve tensing and then relaxing various groups of muscles.

• Schedule your worry

While it may feel awkward at first, consider scheduling the worry to specific parts of the day, Morfitt says. “When we lean into our fears by deliberately seeking out our stressors and not avoiding them or escaping them, they often lose their power,” he said.

Summary
Effective therapy sessions can happen in person, over the phone, and even online. To help find a therapist that’s right for you.

Medication for Stress Management

In some cases, medication may be necessary as a patient progresses through their journey. Options can include beta-blockers taken on an as needed basis and SSRIs that balance serotonin levels on an ongoing basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Following are the frequently asked questions related to the effects of stress that how stress effects us psychologically.

• What causes psychological stress?

Stress can be external and related to the environment, but may also be caused by internal perceptions that cause an individual to experience anxiety or other negative emotions surrounding a situation, such as pressure, discomfort, etc., which they then deem stressful.

• How does stress influence behavior?

Stress can contribute to health problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, and skin conditions. Stress may also influence cognitive processes because it is associated with elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone that can influence brain functioning.

• How do you know you are stressed?

Emotional symptoms of stress include: Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody. Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control. Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind.

• What is the most stressful age?

While Millennials (ages 18 to 33) and Gen Xers (ages 34 to 47) report the highest average stress levels, Boomers (48 to 66) and Matures (67 years and older) join them in reporting levels that are higher than they consider healthy. Stress has also increased for a considerable number of Americans, regardless of age.

• How do you control your stress?

Here are some tips to help you keep stress at bay.

1. Keep a positive attitude.
2. Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
3. Be assertive instead of aggressive.
4. Learn and practice relaxation techniques ; try meditation , yoga, or tai-chi for stress management.
5. Exercise regularly.
6. Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.

Conclusion

When we are stressed we may experience many different feelings, including anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, or frustration. These feelings can sometimes feed on each other and produce physical symptoms, making us feel even worse. For some people, stressful life events can contribute to symptoms of depression

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