By: Rachel DeGrane
The first Wednesday in November is Stress Awareness Day. Stress is a natural part of life in fact, sometimes it’s even healthy to be stressed! Most of the time when people are referring to stress they are talking about bad stress. National Stress Awareness Day reminds people to take a moment and identify the key stressors (both good and bad) in life and come up with a plan to cope with the stress.
Let’s begin with talking about good stress. This type of stress is referring to things that help motivate or inspire a person to do something. This may be experienced when a person is competing for a promotion or preparing for a celebration such as an anniversary or a wedding. When a person experiences this kind of stress their heart rate increases, adrenaline levels rise, and some people may also experience that feeling of butterflies.
Now for the type of the stress most people are more familiar with, the negative stress. This is the type of stress that leaves you worn down and frustrated. This occurs most commonly when a person is taking on too much at work/ school or are experiencing a loss of some sort. Similarly, when experiencing this type of stress, a person’s adrenaline rises, they begin to tense their muscles and their body language exhibits that of someone who is angry or frustrated.
After covering both positive and negative stress, here are some healthy ways to help cope with the stressors in life:
- Physical exercise
- Social support
- Deep breathing
- Eating healthy
- Asking for help
At Owens, we understand how stressful like can get! Whether you are stressed about family conflict, or a situation happening at work, we have multiple therapists who are ready to help you cope with the stressors in your life.
If you have any questions, please call our office at 847.854.4333