Managing Your Stress

2014-06-06 21:23:54 CPCC Blogging Team

Everybody has to deal with some amount of stress at certain points in their lives. Unfortunately, stress has many detrimental effects on your body and mental health. Knowing the signs and symptoms of stress can help you to control stress in your life to allow you to live a healthier life.

Stress is a normal physical reaction to anything that makes you feel threatened or upsets your balance in some way. It is your body’s way of dealing with danger as a way to protect you. Stress helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. If you have too much stress in your life, it stops being helpful to your well-being and can cause major damage to your body, mood and behavior.

Common effects that stress has on your body including headache, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, fatigue, change in sex drive, stomach upset, and sleep problems. On the behavior side, stress can affect you in ways that manifest in different ways, including overeating or under-eating, angry outbursts, drug or alcohol abuse, tobacco use, or social withdrawal. Stress can also impact your mood, causing anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation or focus, irritability or anger, and sadness or depression. There are also many health problems associated with stress, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Knowing how to manage your stress can help reduce all of the problems that are associated with it. There are many stress management strategies, such as physical activity, relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, and prayer. Getting plenty of sleep and eating a balanced diet can also help lower stress.

If you are not sure if your stress is at a normal level, it is important to get professional help. Contact Community Presbyterian Counseling Center, located in San Ramon, California if you need help dealing with your stress.   

Mental Health