Stress can be self-made. You may have taken on too many responsibilities or made a few mistakes that are now causing you to feel intense anxiety and stress. Oftentimes, though, the things you worry about are out of your control.
While you cannot control all of the stressors in your life, you can control how you respond to them. By adopting a few key strategies, you can break free from the impacts of stress on your physical and mental health.
What Is Stress?
Stress itself is not a bad thing. It is the body’s natural reaction to demands and challenges. When your body and brain sense a high-risk event, the body releases hormones that help to pump oxygen to your brain so you can think clearly. Your body prepares muscles to make the fight or flight decision. This is normal: spikes in blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose help your body prepare for the fight.
What is not okay is when this fight-or-flight process becomes chronic rather than providing a short-term burst of focus. When the body remains constantly prepped for danger, it starts to break down.
How to Get Through High-Stress Times You Cannot Control
Apply these strategies to your day to help you navigate the stress over problems that are not within your power to solve or control.
Avoid Unnecessary Focus on the Stressor
If you’re worried about politics or a pandemic, consider the following steps. Learn accurate information about the problem from a trusted resource. Then, stop looking for more commentary about it, whether through social media or debates with others. This sole action can help your brain process the reality of the stressor. Is it really impacting your life? If so, do what you can to address the personal impact. If not, focus on your own home and work rather than worrying about things that are out of your control.
Engage in Healthy Activities
The best way to combat stress is to maintain a routine schedule of self-care:
- Go to bed around the same time every night to get a full night’s sleep. Leave your phone in another room, and keep the TV off.
- Eat a healthy diet that gives your body the nutrients it needs without contributing directly to excess salt, fat, or carbohydrate intake.
- Get exercise. Exercise burns stress hormones. Whether you swim, go for a run, or take on an intense workout program during the week, find a way to exercise often.
These steps help to foster a higher level of control over the stressor and the way your body reacts to it. By supporting your physical health, you give your body the tools it needs to handle these difficult situations.
Know When to Get Help for Stress
To be clear, stress is very different from mental health disorders. Do not overlook the need for professional treatment if you suspect you have an anxiety disorder or are using drugs and/or alcohol to manage your worry. When you come in for professional treatment, you’ll gain some outstanding benefits:
- Someone to tell you the truth. With so many stressful factors playing out around you, it becomes hard to know what the reality is. A professional can help you safely separate fact from fiction.
- Insight into how to resolve your stress. Your therapist will help you work through the challenges you are facing, allowing your brain to process the information in a more meaningful manner.
- The confidence you need to express yourself. You don’t have to hide your stress, but you do need a way to communicate it confidentially and safely.
Expect Our Stress Relief Strategies to Work for You
At Willow Creek Behavioral Health, we know that times are tough. Economic conditions, political unrest, hurricanes, and fires are all very real threats today. We cannot take those away, but we can help you manage the stress they cause. Contact us now to learn how.
