Effects Of Too Much Stress
“If constantly under stress, most of us will eventually start to function less well,” says Malaika Stoll, M.D., chief medical officer of SutterSelect. Multiple studies link chronic stress to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, weight gain, memory loss and even premature death, so “it’s important to recognize the warning signals,” she says.
Talk to your doctor about ways to manage stress if youre experiencing any of these symptoms:
- Prolonged periods of poor sleep
- Regular, severe headaches
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Feelings of isolation, withdrawal or worthlessness
- Constant anger and irritability
- Loss of interest in activities
- Constant worrying or obsessive thinking
- Excessive alcohol or drug use
- Inability to concentrate
Causes Of Emotional Stress
Relationship stress carries a heavy toll on our emotional lives and creates strong emotional responses. Our relationships greatly impact our lives or better or for worse.
Healthy relationships can bring good times, but also resources in times of need, added resilience in times of stress, and even increased longevity. However, conflicted relationships and ‘frenemies’ can make us worse off in our emotional lives, and can even take a toll physically.
Relationships aren’t the only cause of emotional stress, however. Financial crises, an unpleasant work environment, or a host of other stressors can cause emotional stress, which sometimes tempts us toward unhealthy coping behaviors in order to escape the pain, especially when the situations seem hopeless.
Perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of coping with emotional stress is the feeling of being unable to change the situation. If we can’t change our stress levels by eliminating the stressful situation, we can work on our emotional response to it.
Get Help From A Therapist
Once your level of emotional stress tends to threaten your wellbeing, you may see a therapist to help to work through all these emotional issues. No matter what the cause of your emotional stress is, a therapist can help you to lessen and manage it, You will feel better in the process.
Once you know how to handle this issue, it will be easy for you to go on with your life.
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Tip : Connect To Others
There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. In fact, face-to-face interaction triggers a cascade of hormones that counteracts the bodys defensive fight-or-flight response. Its natures natural stress reliever . So make it a point to connect regularlyand in personwith family and friends.
Keep in mind that the people you talk to dont have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good listeners. And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep you from opening up. The people who care about you will be flattered by your trust. It will only strengthen your bond.
Of course, its not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on when you feel overwhelmed by stress, but by building and maintaining a network of close friends you can improve your resiliency to lifes stressors.
Tips for building relationships
Daily Inconveniences And Busyness
Minor setbacks such as misplacing something, forgetting things, or running late can cause psychological stress, particularly if they happen frequently. Day-to-day stressors cause anxiety affecting both physical and mental health.
When you are too busy and having to work more than one job can be draining. Maybe due to necessity or because you cant say no to others.
When you overwork, you tend to neglect your basic needs, such as exercising and eating healthy. In the long run, you may be diagnosed with psychological stress.
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Signs Of Emotional Stress And How To Overcome It
Stress and anxiety are often considered interchangeable terms, when in fact, they are not. Anxiety is characterized by a constant or recurring sense of fear or dread, a feeling that something horrible is about to happen. Stress is typically described as a feeling of being overwhelmed or under pressure. Although the terms are not interchangeable, stress can cause anxiety. Left unchecked, emotional stress can affect your physical and mental health.
Tips For Managing Chronic Stress
Successful management of chronic stress can vary from person to person what works for you may not for someone else. Here are some stress-busting tips may help you cope with stress:
- Get active. Physical activity can positively affect your mood and reduce stress. Walking is a great way to start, but if you want something more invigorating, try a heart-pumping aerobic activity like jogging, dance, or swimming. Just make sure you check with your doctor first.
- Try tai-chi or other relaxation exercises. Activities like tai-chi, yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises may take you out of your comfort zone, but they can be a worthwhile experience for many people. For example, one study among older individuals published in The Journals of Gerontology found that tai chi helped reduce participants stressful feelings while increasing positive emotions.
- Prioritize your sleep. Getting enough sleep is important for many areas of your health and wellbeing, and its benefits on stress management are no different. When you sleep, your brain unpacks much of the days activities and stressors during the various phases of sleep, including rapid-eye-movement. These tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can help train your brain to sleep longer and better for optimal health benefits.
- Avoid self-isolation. Surround yourself with a support network of people who care about your wellbeing, and use that network when you need it.
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Can Stress Be Positive
Research has shown that stress can sometimes be positive. It can make you more alert and help you perform better in certain situations.2 However, stress has only been found to be beneficial if it is short-lived.
Excessive or prolonged stress can contribute to illness such as heart disease3 and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.4
Limit Media To Reduce Anxiety
When there are stressful social events, we hear about them through the news and social media. By now you have heard this recommendation many times and there is research behind it: Watching or scrolling through the media makes us even more anxious. An excess of news and visual images about a traumatic event can create symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and poor health years later, according to research by UC Irvine’s Roxy Silver, PhD, and others.
Try to limit media exposure during stressful times to no more than twice a day and try to avoid it before bedtime. Take a vow to not forward alarming headlines to friends and family.
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Intimate Partner Or Family Violence
Disasters can be extremely disruptive to individual families and community routines, leading to stress and inviting all types of violent behavior, including intimate partner violence or family violence. Women and girls can be particularly at risk. Following a disaster, resources for reporting violent crimes may be temporarily suspended or unavailable. For women and girls who have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or family violence, this can further heighten their sense of isolation and vulnerability.
Before, during, and after a disaster, what may seem like fighting between intimate partners or family members may actually be a symptom of a larger pattern of abuse. Further, during the response and recovery phase after a disaster, the risk for violence against women and girls becomes greater. These disaster survivors may become displaced from their homes and moved to shelters or temporary housing, where they encounter overcrowded, co-ed living conditions and a lack of security, among other things.
If you or someone you care about is or may be experiencing intimate partner, sexual, or family abuse or violence, call the Disaster Distress Helpline. Other resources are also available:
Finding Professional Help To Deal With Emotional Stress
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How Do I Use Emotional Expression To Overcome Stress
Emotional expression is key to a healthy life. It gets bad feelings out of our system. It prevents the fight-or-flight state that leads to so many health problems. And if we express our emotions, we can take back control of our minds from the stress that can often overwhelm it.
Here is a way to move uncomfortable emotions quickly:
When we take control from stress, we can put our minds at ease and focus on more important things that bring us joy and happiness. Here are some more emotional expression exercises and activities to help overcome stress.
Warning Signs And Risk Factors For First Responders And Recovery Workers
First responders and recovery workers include:
- Fire fighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians, 911 operators, and other fire, emergency, and medical personnel
- Military service men and women
- Clergy
- Staff and volunteers serving with disaster-relief organizations, including sheltering, animal rescue, food service, and crisis counseling
First responders and recovery workers are not only physically and emotionally tested during an emergency, but they also may have loved ones in the area for whom they are concerned. They also are often the last to seek help for work-related stress.
Warnings signs of stress in responders and recovery workers may include:
- Experiencing a rapid heart rate, palpitations, muscle tensions, headaches, and tremors
- Feeling fear or terror in life-threatening situations or perceived danger, as well as anger and frustration
- Being disoriented or confused, having difficulty solving problems, and making decisions
- Engaging in problematic or risky behaviors, such as taking unnecessary risks, failing to use personal protective equipment, or refusing to follow orders or leave the scene
- Becoming irritable or hostile in social situations, resorting to blaming, and failing to support teammates
First responders and recovery workers most at risk for emotional distress include those who have experienced:
Get information in SAMHSA publications on helping first responders and recovery workers:
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Warning Signs And Risk Factors For Children And Teens
Children are often the most vulnerable of those impacted during and after a disaster. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a growing body of research has established that children as young as infancy may be affected by events that threaten their safety or the safety of their parents or caregivers.
Disasters are unfamiliar events that are not easily understood by children, who can find them emotionally confusing and frightening. During the time of turmoil, they may be left with a person unfamiliar to them and provided with limited information. Some warning signs of distress in children ages 6 to 11 include:
- Withdrawing from playgroups and friends
- Competing more for the attention of parents and teachers
- Being unwilling to leave home
- Being less interested in schoolwork
- Becoming aggressive
- Having added conflict with peers or parents
- Having difficulty concentrating
For teens, the impact of disasters varies depending on how much of a disruption the disaster causes their family or community. Teens ages 12 to 18 are likely to have physical complaints when under stress or be less interested in schoolwork, chores, or other responsibilities.
Although some teens may compete vigorously for attention from parents and teachers after a disaster, they also may:
- Become withdrawn
- Experiment with high-risk behaviors such as underage drinking or prescription drug misuse and abuse
Children and teens most at risk for emotional distress include those who:
How To Overcome Depression/clinical Depression
There are several key steps you may take if you’ve experienced hair loss as a result of stress.
1. Eat a Balanced Diet
It’s crucial for your general health as well as your hair! Some of the causes of telogen effluvium include crash dieting and malnutrition. It’s crucial to focus on complete foods and a balanced diet and also healthy breakfast when it comes to the best foods for reducing hair loss caused by stress. Eat foods that contain:
- a wide variety of fruits and veggies
- Grain
- Protein that is low in fat
2. Consider taking a supplement
Certain nutritional deficits can promote stress-induced hair loss, including:
- Obtain Assistance Right Now
4. Techniques for Relaxation
Stress can be reduced and managed through relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises.
5. Workout
Regular exercise causes the body to release feel-good hormones that aid with stress management. Hair loss caused by stress can be reversed with a healthy body and a peaceful mind.
6. Thinking Positively
Having a positive view of life might assist in properly dealing with stress. At all times, surround yourself with positive people and optimistic thoughts.
7. Seek the advice of a therapist
Other helpful techniques to lessen and prevent stress should be discussed with your therapist.
8. Diet
9. Establish a Hair Care Routine
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Talk About Your Feelings
Too many people today think that expressing feelings makes them weak and shows they cant cope with challenging situations on their own. However, consider the other side of that argument. What if talking about your feelings actually makes you a strong person because you feel comfortable with vulnerability, and know when to swallow your pride to admit you need help?
Dont ever feel bad for asking for assistance or bringing up negative emotions to others most people actually cant wait to give support in any way they can.
How To Handle Emotional Stress
There are two kinds of emotions: the good emotions or positive feelings, and the bad emotions or the negative feelings. Our emotions are designed to allow us to express what we feel. Without feelings, you can only imagine the people appearing like robots that just do things without feeling happy or getting hurt. We prefer the positive emotions because it is euphoric. When we feel elated and ecstatic, life is just so wonderful.
However, when negative emotions are built up inside, the heart feels so heavy. Bad feelings are triggered by people or situations that have not been in favor of your desire or how you want it to turn out.
For example, when your work is becoming a burden to you and what you really wanted was a lighter load at work, you get disappointed. If you broke up with your partner because things did not turn out fine when you actually wanted a happy relationship, you become depressed. And because of these negative feelings, we become emotionally stressed and feel pressured.
Emotional stress is a very difficult kind of pressure to manage. It is because our emotions sometimes become unbearable when heightened, especially the negative emotions like anger, fear, frustration, disappointment, and the like.
Manage Your Emotions
Create a More Favorable Situation
Find an Outlet for Your Emotions
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How Can You Cope With Emotional Stress
The good news is that there are many ways to manage emotional stress if it begins to overwhelm you. Your first step: Think about the healthy habits you already know you should be practicing. Continue to meet your basic needs: drink water, eat healthy, move your body, get some sleep, Dr. ONeill says. Listen to your body and give it what it needs.
Beyond that, its important to stay aware of what might cause emotional stress for you, specifically. While instances of emotional stress can be unexpected, it certainly wont hurt to keep in mind the recurring scenarios that can potentially cause it. Although were not always aware of what will trigger emotional stress, it can be helpful to look out for warning signs, such as strong emotional reactions, Dr. ONeill explains. When youre aware of what situations might potentially cause emotional stress, it can be easier to manage the side effects of it.
Accept Your Current Emotions
Have you ever heard the saying What you resist persists? Well, that powerful phrase definitely applies here. If you constantly fight your feelings, you will only see those same situations and emotions repeating themselves over and over again until you learn to embrace them. However, you must realize that on some conscious level, you created those highly stressful situations, so you must deal with what you manifested accordingly.
After you have accepted that you played a part in creating the stress, you can consciously work on establishing more desirable outcomes.
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