Stress

Stress

Stress is our bodies’ emotional and chemical response to life-or-death situations. Or at least, that’s what our stress hormones were designed to do. 

Our bodies experience stress for a variety of reasons, and stress can manifest itself differently in each person. Find out how to prevent stress and what to do if you’re one of the millions of people already plagued by it. 

What Causes Stress?

Stress is the body’s normal response to unexpected or negative events. Feeling stress in high-pressure and dangerous situations is extremely normal. It helps our animal instincts kick in and provides plenty of cortisol and adrenaline to get us out of harm’s way. Basically, it worked pretty well back when we needed to escape a charging bull or find shelter quickly.

Yet, in the modern world, stress can happen when we don’t need those boosts of stress hormones. Our bodies often misunderstand everyday situations as stressful ones, and this can take a toll on our systems.

Just some of the most common causes of stress include:

• Trauma
• Excitement
• Loud noises
• Unexpected events
• Major life events
• Difficult challenges
• Financial problems
• Negative self-talk
• Constant worry
• Perfectionism

Symptoms of Stress

Stress can manifest itself in the body in a variety of ways. It can also show up as different symptoms in different people. 

Some of the most common symptoms of stress are:

• Anger
• Anxious thoughts
• Constant worry
• Decreased sex drive
• Depression
• Headaches
• Heavy breathing
• High blood pressure
• Inconsistent judgment
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Loneliness
• Lowered immune system
• Moodiness
• Nausea
• Negative self-talk
• Poor memory
• Stomachaches
• Surges of stress hormones
• Tightening in the chest
• Vomiting

How to Prevent Stress

The good news is that some of the best ways to prevent stress include lifestyle changes. These good habits cost virtually nothing and can make a big impact on your stress levels.

Some of the most common ways to prevent stress include:

• Getting more sleep
• Using meditation and mindfulness practices included in health apps
• Exercising at least 30 minutes a day
• Drinking more water
• Taking mental health breaks throughout the day
• Eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies
• Avoiding mentally toxic situations
• Practicing self-care
• Creating good habits (like positive self-talk)
• Spending more time with friends
• Taking time for solitude

Medical Treatments for Stress

Even if you’ve started implementing some of the above lifestyle changes, we recommend chatting with your doctor about your stress levels. Sometimes a chemical imbalance or trauma is just too much for one person to handle.

Medical treatments for stress can help you through a challenging time or even save your life in some cases.

The most common medical treatments for stress include:

• Talk therapy
• Antidepressant medication (SSRIs)
• Sleeping pills
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Immersion therapy
• EMDR therapy
• Prozac

Stress often starts out seemingly innocuous enough, but it can snowball and make a negative impact on every area of your life. Make an appointment with an online primary care physician or online therapist to find out what preventative measures to take and how to treat stress after it strikes.