Have you been feeling stressed lately? You’re not alone. With national headlines highlighting contentious elections, climate change, the pandemic, and other major challenges, 2024 is a stressful time. And that’s without even counting the stressors affecting your personal life. A recent academic survey found that 49 percent of respondents said stress had negatively impacted their behavior (*1).

WHAT DOES STRESS LOOK LIKE?

Stress is part of our everyday lives and we are programmed to deal with moderate levels of stress and carry on. But when stress levels get too high, it causes problems. Symptoms of chronic or too much stress (*2) can include:
• regular anger, fear, frustration, drowsiness, sadness, or worry
• Difficulty making a decision
• Problems concentrating your attention
• Disturbances in sleep rhythm
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• physical health problems such as pain, digestive problems or skin problems
• existing mental or physical health problems that are getting worse
• Abuse of mind-altering substances – legal or illegal

STRESS AND ANXIETY: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT

Stress is sometimes confused with anxiety (*3). And although they have some symptoms
There are no similarities, but they are not the same. The difference is that stress is triggered by external events and usually subsides when the triggers are reduced or eliminated. It is a response to an existing challenge. In contrast, anxiety is the fear that something bad might happen, and symptoms often persist even when the immediate triggers have disappeared. One way to determine if your stress level needs attention is to pay attention to whether symptoms occur more frequently or more severely than usual.

HOW STRESS AFFECTS YOUR LIFE

Chronic stress can affect your life in ways that can lead to bigger problems (*3). It
can cause physical symptoms such as insomnia, pain, high blood pressure, and other health problems. It can worsen ailments you already have. And it can also affect your concentration, interfere with your sex life, and make you so irritable that it causes problems at work or in relationships.

Coping with stress

Stress isn’t so difficult to manage when it comes in small doses. Think about the inconveniences you deal with throughout the day (e.g., a tight deadline, heavy traffic). It becomes a problem when there’s too much of it at once. Consider these proactive steps to lower your ongoing stress levels:

• Stay physically active and healthy
• Take frequent breaks at work or at home
• Get enough sleep – ideally about 7 hours for adults
• Stay informed, but limit your news consumption – especially stories that aim to stir up outrage or fear
• Reduce or avoid tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and drugs if you use them

If you are experiencing a more immediate stress overload, try these coping mechanisms to get through a short-term crisis:

• Long, deep breathing for a few minutes
• Meditation and/or yoga
• Talk to a trusted friend or
Advisor

A recent study has confirmed that venting anger and frustration can be counterproductive; the better alternative is to relax (*4).

IF YOU NEED HELP

If you’re finding it increasingly difficult to manage your stress-related problems on your own, talk to a mental health professional at Sanitas Medical Center. Many doctors also offer programs specifically designed for patients with chronic stress and other mental health issues. Sanitas’ BeWell program offers mental and behavioral health screenings, consultations, and referral services that can be tailored to your needs. The program also offers tips and resources to guide you to the help you need.

Be kind to yourself. Take chronic stress seriously and get the help you need to get back to normal.

(*1) American Psychological Association
(*2) cdc.gov
(*3) psychcentral.com
(*4) theconversation.com

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