Whether you are coping with a mental health disorder, like anxiety or depression, or trying to go through a major life transition, stress is a part of life. You cannot always control life’s circumstances, but you can control how you respond to them!
Although stress is a normal part of life, there is such a thing as overwhelming or chronic stress. Chronic stress is when the stress is constant and persists over an extended period of time, becoming debilitating and interfering with your ability to complete daily tasks.
Chronic stress can impact your well-being. Therefore, having effective stress-reduction techniques is a must. It is important to note that stress reduction techniques are not one-size-fits-all. In fact, the process of finding a stress reduction method that works for you may take some trial and error and that is perfectly normal. What works for you, may not work for the next person and vice versa.
By having multiple stress relief tools at your disposal, you can be well-equipped to manage your stress when it arises. By having this arsenal, you will be able to pinpoint which tools work the best for you.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.
What is stress?
While we all have a rough idea of what stress means to us, stress can be defined as an alteration that triggers a physical, emotional, or psychological burden on you. When something requires your attention or an action on your behalf, your body reacts in the form of stress.
Stress can be short-term or long-term. Both forms of stress come along with symptoms, but chronic stress can have a more severe impact on your body.
Some common signs of stress encompass the following:
Mood changes
Clammy or sweaty palms
Lowered sex drive
Diarrhea and/or digestive issues
Sleeping issues (If you are struggling with insomnia, check out our blog “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia”)
Dizziness
Teeth-grinding
Headaches
Low energy levels
Muscle tension
Physical aches
Racing heartbeat
Trembling
Am I experiencing stress?
Stress feels different from person-to-person.
Generally, if you are experiencing stress, the following will occur:
You feel exhausted and worn out
You are unable to cope
You are irritable
You are filled with fear
You feel frustrated
You are overworked
The truth is that stress is not always easy to recognize, especially when it is happening to yourself. You may be living on autopilot or perhaps you think it is normal to live in a constant state of stress.
Luckily, there are ways to identify signs that you are under too much stress and pressure. Sometimes stress may come from an obvious source, like your job; however, minor things, such as interactions with family members and friends, can take a toll on your mental health.
If you think you are experiencing stress, here are some signs to look out for:
Psychological signs - Anxiety, trouble remembering things, difficulty concentrating, worrying
Emotional signs - Anger, moody, frustrated, irritated
Physical signs - Weight fluctuations, high blood pressure, frequent colds and infections, changes in sex drive and/or menstruation
Behavioral signs - Poor self-care, relying on drugs and alcohol to cope with life, not enjoying things you used to find joy in
What is the difference between stress and anxiety?
Many times, people mistake stress for anxiety, and the other way around. While the two are separate mental health disturbances, a high level of stress can contribute to your anxiety. When you experience anxiety, you may find it even more difficult to cope with your stress and it can even lead to other health issues, such as depression, digestive issues, and so on.
Together, stress and anxiety can add to:
High blood pressure
Nervousness
Excessive worry
Muscle tension
For the most part, you can think of stress as a reaction to external circumstances. On the other hand, anxiety is your internal reaction to stress. Your stress may disappear when the situation passes, but anxiety can persist even when the stressor disappears.
What causes stress?
Many life transitions can cause stress.
Here are some common triggers of stress:
Career issues
Finances
Relationships
Parenting
Day-to-day occurrences
Stress puts your body into a fight-or-flight state. This is your body’s natural response to a threat. When you have this reaction, specific hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, are released in your body which leads to major shifts. For instance, your heart may begin to race fast, your digestion slows down, and changes occur to your nervous system, triggering a burst of energy.
The fight-or-flight response is an automatic bodily response that humans have had since our creation. In today’s times, the fight-or-flight response is not as needed as it was in the past. Our fight-or-flight response is activated in situations where it is not appropriate. For instance, maybe you are stuck in traffic after work and your body launches into either of these two responses.
When the perceived threat disappears, your body has a relaxation response which brings you back into your normal state. However, if you struggle with chronic stress, you are not entering your relaxed state often enough. This means that your body is almost constantly in a state of fight-or-flight which damages the body.
Stress can also breed negative habits which can wreak further havoc on your body, such as under- or over-eating, smoking, and engaging in addictive behavior.
Are there different types of stress?
Absolutely! You may not have known it, but there are in-fact different types of stress that exist. While we often associate the term ‘stress’ with negativity, stress is not always bad for us.
Here are some of the different types of stress that you may be experiencing:
Acute stress- As the name indicates, acute stress is short-term stress. You can think of this as the stress we encounter in day-to-day life. For example, you go to the coffee shop by your house before work and order your usual latte. Your order is taking longer than usual and you have a meeting at 9:00 am sharp. You may feel stressed out in this situation, worrying if you are going to be late for work, but, once the situation passes, so does your stress.
Chronic stress- This form of stress is more severe than acute stress. It can feel inescapable and never-ending. Perhaps you are going through a difficult relationship or dealing with trauma from childhood. If you are working through childhood trauma, read our top blog “How To Heal Childhood Trauma As An Adult.”
Episodic acute stress- This is when you experience acute stress frequently. You may feel like you are always under pressure or like something is always going wrong.
Eustress- Simply put, eustress means beneficial stress. It is fun, exciting, and keeps you motivated. For instance, you may feel this form of stress if you are an athlete competing in an event.
My stress is getting out of control. How can I manage it?
Stress is part of the human experience. At its best, it can motivate you to get things done. At its worst, it can make you feel down and anxious.
Here are some tips to minimize the stress in your life…
Work with a stress therapist
One of the best things you can do to minimize stress is to work with a licensed mental health counselor. By doing so, your stress counselor can provide you with one-on-one, customized support to suit your needs. In stress counseling, you will learn how to become more mindful of your thoughts, therefore learning what is triggering your stress.
Your stress therapist may use stress-reduction techniques, such as mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), has proven to be successful in helping reduce clients’ stress levels. To learn more about meditating for stress, check out our blog “How Meditation Can Lead To Stress Reduction.”
At Anchor Therapy, we have therapists for stress who can help you feel like your best self again. We offer in-person counseling in our downtown Hoboken office as well as telecounseling services to residents of Jersey City, Montclair, and Bergen County, New Jersey. Teletherapy is also offered to all other residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
To learn more about stress counseling at Anchor Therapy, read “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy.”
2. Practice yoga
From teens and adults to the senior community, yoga has become a popular tool for de-stressing and with good reason! There are different styles of yoga but they of the different forms share a universal goal- to increase awareness.
Yoga not only helps with lessening stress and anxiety levels, but it also can benefit your overall well-being. This is because yoga has a direct impact on your body’s nervous system and stress response.
Yoga lowers cortisol levels, also known as your body’s primary stress hormone, and blood pressure.
To learn more about practicing yoga for your psychological well-being, read our blog “The Mental Health Benefits of Practicing Yoga.”
3. Create boundaries and stick to them
While not all stress is in your control, some of it may be. When you bite off more than you can chew, you may find yourself stressed out and unable to practice self-care.
One way to safeguard your mental health is to learn how to say “no” to people or situations that do not serve you. Remember, that in order to fill up someone else’s cup, you must fill up your own cup first.
Be selective about the activities you choose to take part in and the people you surround yourself with. Creating boundaries, particularly with stress-triggering things or people, is healthy.
Setting boundaries does not have to be scary or a big to-do. It could be as simple as setting communication boundaries with your significant other so they do not text you during the work day. Or telling your family members to not stop by unannounced. Communication is key. It is not what you say, but how you say it.
For more information on how to do this, read “6 Ways to Set Boundaries & Enforce Them.”
4. Avoid procrastination
I know, I know- avoiding procrastination is hard, especially if you are someone addicted to the pressure. But, avoiding procrastination is a direct way to stay on top of your responsibilities and avoid unnecessary stress.
In some cases, procrastination can actually harm your productivity and leave you scrambling at the last minute. In times of stress, you may be more likely to procrastinate as a coping mechanism. However, this breeds a cycle of more stress.
If you find yourself constantly struggling with procrastination, try to make a to-do list and number your tasks in order of priority. Do not forget to give yourself realistic deadlines so you are not adding more work to your plate.
5. Minimize phone and social media use
In today’s times, smartphones, tablets, and computers are an essential part of daily life, but it is necessary to unplug sometimes. When you use electronic devices too much, it can increase stress levels and worsen mental health disorders, like depression for example.
When you spend too much time in front of a screen, it can lower your psychological welfare and increase stress levels in children and adults alike. Screen time can also worsen sleep issues which leads to higher stress levels itself.
Check out our blog “Do I Have A Social Media Addiction?” if you are trying to combat too much screen time.
6. Cut down your caffeine intake
Caffeine is a component of coffee, energy drinks, tea, chocolate, and so on. Caffeine can be difficult to avoid, so it is helpful to be mindful of your caffeine consumption if you are struggling with stress as caffeine stimulates your central nervous system.
People have different thresholds for how much caffeine they can tolerate. It may take some trial-and-error to figure out your tolerance. If you notice caffeine making you jittery, try to replace it with a decaffeinated counterpart.
Overall, stress is a common part of life. You cannot avoid it. Luckily, there are ways you can manage it! Whether you are trying out meditation or becoming more organized by creating to-do lists, you can effectively lower your stress and anxiety levels. If you are struggling with stress management, do not hesitate to reach out for support today.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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