We all experience stress in our daily lives, from the stress of balancing work and family life, to the stress of big life events like moving, getting married, or welcoming the birth of a new child.

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Even when stress is caused by happy life changes that we go into willingly, it can become too much to handle on our own. Stress can have physical, cognitive, and emotional effects, and if left untreated, stress can affect our relationships, work, and our overall functioning.

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Feeling stressed out is completely normal, but that doesn’t mean that you need to deal with stress symptoms on your own. Our specialists are experts in supporting clients in developing stress management skills and coping with stressful life circumstances. We can help you take charge of your stress, rather than letting it take charge of you.

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What is Stress?

 

Stress is a normal human reaction to an ever-changing environment and its demands. Stress is something that the human body is built to weather, and our experience of stress can actually be beneficial if it helps us stay alert to potential threats or cope with challenging circumstances. You can think of stress as your body’s way of saying “We need to be on high alert.”

 

In a perfect world, periods of stress would be followed by long periods of rest and recovery to help your mind and body come back to a state of calm. Unfortunately, in today’s world, it’s all too common for periods of stress to go on for long stretches of time, with only short breaks. 

 

This kind of prolonged stress is unsustainable. When stress gets to be too much or lasts for too long, it can have several negative impacts, including leading to health issues like:

 

• Headaches

• Ulcers

• High blood pressure

• Heart attack

• Stroke

• Chronic pain

• Muscle tension

• High blood sugar

• Fertility problems

• Poor immune system functioning

• Insomnia

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What are Stress Symptoms?

 

There are several physical, cognitive, and behavioral stress symptoms that are common in people who are stressed out. These stress symptoms are important to recognize because they can help you better understand how your body reacts to stress.

 

Physical stress symptoms include: 

• Headaches and dizziness

• Muscle tension

• Difficulty sleeping or alternatively sleeping too much 

• Feeling tired or fatigued

• Heart palpitations or chest pain

• Upset stomach

• Reduced or increased appetite

 

Cognitive stress symptoms include:

• Anxiety or worry

• Depression

• Restlessness

• Lack of motivation

• Feeling irritable or frustrated

 

Behavioral stress symptoms include:

• Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol

• Decreased productivity

• Social withdrawal

• Avoidance

• Decreased intimacy

 

Each person experiences stress symptoms differently. Working with a therapist can help you bring more awareness to the physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms that you experience when you’re stressed out.

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What is Burnout?

 

Burnout is a specific kind of work related stress that has become more and more commonly talked about in recent years. Burnout is a more pervasive form of stress that shows up in work settings, often when someone feels overworked and under-appreciated, although burnout symptoms can show up in many different areas of life, not just at work.

 

Researchers have identified several key burnout symptoms to look out for:

• Feeling cynical or bitter about your work

• Lack of energy, especially around work-related tasks

• Feeling irritable or impatient with co-workers

• Lack of satisfaction with work

• Disruptions in sleep, eating, and/or exercise habits

• Having a hard time getting the energy to do tasks that used to feel easy

 

Do you recognize any of those burnout symptoms in yourself or someone you know? Don’t hesitate to act. Burnout requires making changes and will not go away with time. Burnout can also have dire consequences on your mental and physical health. Working with a therapist is a great place to start in treating burnout symptoms and figuring out a plan to move forward.

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What is Stress Management?

 

One of the hardest things about feeling stressed out is that it can impair your ability to do things like prioritize, solve problems, or find ways to relax - the very stress management techniques that you need when you’re feeling stressed out.

 

Stress management starts with identifying stressors and becoming aware of stress-inducing thoughts, feelings and behaviors. By developing coping skills, recognizing how stress impacts you, and remaining alert to any stress symptoms, you’ll be well on your way to conquering your stress.

 

Every person experiences stress differently, and so stress management needs to be tailored to the individual and how their body reacts to stress. For example, some people react to stress by diving head first into work and checking things off their “to-do” list. Other people react to stress by avoiding their work, even when they know they need to do it. Stress management techniques might look very differently for these two people!

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Stress Management Techniques

 

There are several different stress management techniques that you can use to manage your stress symptoms. Some examples include:

 

• Deep breathing

• Meditation and mindfulness

• Journaling

• Using planning tools (like planners or task management systems)

• Exercise

• Sleep

• Practicing gratitude

• Sticking to a routine/schedule

• Yoga

• Therapy

• Connecting with close friends and loved ones

 

The best stress management strategies are customized to your preferences, interests, and how you respond to stress - but you don’t have to figure that out on your own! A therapist can help partner with you to identify the stress management techniques that will work best for you.

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How We Can Help

 

Our specialists are experts in helping people navigate stressful life circumstances. No matter the cause of your stress, we can help you gain better awareness of what’s causing you to feel stressed out and how stress impacts you.

 

In addition to helping you gain awareness, our therapists will provide you with concrete tools that can help you better manage your stress. These tools include mindfulness (staying in the moment), distress tolerance (crisis survival strategies), emotion regulation (self-care, building positive experiences, and reducing suffering), and interpersonal effectiveness (communicating assertively).

 

Stress may be a normal part of life, but you don’t have to bear it alone. Reach out to us today to get support in taking the weight off your shoulders.

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Our Stress Management Specialists