#stressed #overwhelmed
Stress in our lives is normal! It helps us adjust to new situations and deal with threats in our environment. Stress can actually be positive like when we have an important exam coming up. It keeps us motivated and alert. But stress becomes a problem when can’t cope with it when feeling worried and overwhelmed won’t go away…
The problem with too much stress
Emotional and physical responses to stress are a survival mechanism. Responding to threatening situations or thoughts increases our awareness in difficult situations, causing us to act quickly to overcome the feeling.
But too much unnecessary stress can be harmful to our health. Affecting our sleep, appetite, concentration, and weight, stress can even weaken our immune system, making us prone to colds and infections. In the long-run, continued strain on our body can lead to serious health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and mental illnesses including depression and anxiety.
Is my stress troubling?
Stress is more common than we realise: We need cortisol (the famous ‘stress hormone’) to get up every morning! While we might think the amount of stress from our school or work life and other daily demands are normal, it’s important to look out for symptoms that indicate we’re experiencing too much stress, including:
Physical symptoms like:
Emotional and mental symptoms such as:
Unhealthy behaviours like:
#calm #chill #wellbeing
Stress management strategies can often seem like common sense or too basic to make a meaningful impact. But it is actually about doing small things, in a consistent and continuous way, to help bring structure, routine and stability to our lives.
1. Actively manage your physical and mental wellbeing
Exercise regularly
It is important we take care of our physical health by exercising regularly. Physical activity releases dopamine (the hormone which makes us feel pleasure) and serotonin (helps us regulate our mood). It also reduces cortisol levels in the short-term, and lowers psychosocial stress levels in the long-term (Klaperski et al., 2014). Moreover, exercising also gives us a healthy escape from the things that stress us out.
Eat well
Taking care about what we eat and drink is very important to managing our gut health, and how our body can regulate our mood. Eat foods that are high in vitamin-D to increase serotonin levels like eggs, and omega-3-richfoods such as fatty fish to regulate mood.
Improve sleep habits
Although stress can negatively impact our sleep cycles by keeping us awake, we can manage our night-time routines to fall asleep more easily and sleep better. Avoid screens at least an hour before bed and switch to a book instead. Take a warm bath or drink a cup of warm milk. Make sure you sleep and wake up at similar times everyday (even on weekends and your day off!) . Get your body into a habit so it’s easier for you and your body.
2. Practice mindfulness
A meta-analysis of 49 studies Querstret and colleagues (2020) found that mindfulness activities and programs have the power to reduce measured stress twice as much than people without mindfulness training. Mindfulness is a type of meditation where you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
3. Connect with others
The overwhelming outcome of stress is that it makes us feel defenceless. We narrow our perspective and ignore the bigger picture. But speaking to someone you trust can bring in a fresh perspective to help soothe the stress you’re feeling. It also feels good to connect with someone to help share your burdens, making us feel less alone. Too much stress is also a sign that seeking professional help is needed. There is no shame in speaking to a counsellor, coach, or therapist. They are trained to address your specific problems and help you manage your stress and emotions better to regain the wellbeing you deserve.
4. Assess your stress
On a piece of paper, write down what is bothering you. Then identify what is the best and worst possible scenario for you and what is most likely to happen. Be objective rather than emotional in this exercise as it will provide a more realistic assessment of the challenge you’re facing. It also makes you recognise that not everything is as bad as it seems, and sometimes we’re stressing too much for no good reason.
5. Carve out time for your hobbies.
Regardless of how busy we are, every day we should put aside time to do something we love. Engage in activities that give you pleasure and joy. Research shows this reduces stress by almost half and lowers your heart rate, too (Saihara et al., 2010).
In conclusion
While stress is necessary for normal functioning and keeping us alert to threats, too much can impede our health and wellbeing. Learning to cope with stress is a useful skill. It teaches us to navigate our own emotions and empowers us to build resilience to overcome barriers.
References
Klaperski, S., Dawans, B., Heinrichs, M., & Fuchs, R. (2014). Effects of a 12-week endurance training program on the physiological response to psychosocial stress in men: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 37(6), 1118-1133.
Querstret, D., Morison, L., Dickinson, S., Cropley, M., & John, M. (2020). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for psychological health and well-being in nonclinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Stress Management, 27(4), 394-411.
Saihara, K., Hamasaki, S., Ishida, S., Kataoka, T., Yoshikawa, A., Orihara, K., Ogawa, M., Oketani, N., Fukudome, T., Atsuchi, N., Shinsato, T., Okui, H., Kubozono, T., Ichiki, H., Kuwahata, S., Mizoguchi, E., Fujita, S., Takumi, T., Ninomiya, Y., . . . Tei, C. (2010). Enjoying hobbies is related to desirable cardiovascular effects. Heart and Vessels, 25(2), 113-20.
#solve #stress #strategies
I started Year 7 this year at a new school as we moved to a new suburb a long way from the home I grew up in. This wasn’t my choice at all, it was because my mum and dad split up, and my mum wanted us to live closer to my Nanna.
I had to leave all my friends behind and didn’t know anybody at my new school. I keep in touch with my old friends but I never get to see them anymore, and talking to them on the phone just isn’t the same.
Because of the divorce, we don’t have as much money as we used to, so I don’t get new things anymore. Mum said she didn’t have enough money to buy me a new school uniform, so we had to go to the school shop and buy used clothes for me and my sisters.
My first week at this new school was terrible because I don’t know anybody and I’m on the shyer side, I found it really hard to make any friends. Most of the kids had been to the same primary school so they all knew each other. I didn’t so I spent my first week having lunch on my own!
What’s even worse is that while I was a good student in primary school, I’m finding these new classes really difficult, and I’m really worried I’m going to fail because I don't’ want that!
Since then, I’ve been having trouble sleeping, waking up feeling unrested, getting on the bus and walking through the school gates feeling stressed… stressed that I’m going to struggle in class again too and stressed
Now every day when I go through the school gates, even before when I get on the school bus, I just get so upset and stressed out because I know I’m going to struggle to get to know anyone and I know that I’m going to struggle in class today too. While I’ve always loved school and had lots of friends, I just don’t think anyone’s going to want to talk to me.
With Mum starting a new job, the only person I’ve ever really talked to if I have problems, I just don’t feel as though I can download all my issues on her. My friends are also so far away and I don’t have any friends here, so it’s not like I can tell anyone else how I’m feeling.
Some possible solutions
Stress is an everyday issue for everyone, no matter what their personal situation is. Everybody experiences some degree of stress in their lives, but it’s how you personally cope with it and take steps to help yourself that you can overcome it!
Your situation sounds like you have a number of challenges especially with the big changes happening in your life. But your situation is not an uncommon one, and many families go through big changes because of separation and divorce. The main thing to know is it’s not your fault and you don’t need to feel upset or stressed about it.
One way is to look at the current challenges you have as individual issues, not just some big overwhelming fog.
With making new friends at school and building friendships, remember that you had good friends at your old school and that will come again as people get to know you. But you need to make the effort, even if it’s just with one other person as you seek to rebuild your friendship group.
If you play a sport like netball, tennis or swimming, speak to the sports teachers in charge and try out for one of the teams. If you like debating, join the debating team. Use the skills you’ve learned to show you are a good team player and can make a contribution.
The main thing is to know is that there is always a solution to any stressful situation but only you (with the help of others like parents, your Nanna and even staying in touch with your old friends) can overcome those stressful feelings.
MaxiMinds is a unique psychoeducation platform offering immediate strategies and resources to recognise and manage the challenges we can face and help overcome the feelings of stress that prevent us from thriving mentally.
Where do I start?
Achieving something every day or even week can show yourself you can get over this feeling of being overwhelmed. Do it in “bite sized tasks” so nothing seems overwhelming. By keeping things small, they are easier to deal with and you can look back and say: “I did that”.
Write down what you want to achieve in a particular week or even month – do a list. It can make your life a bit more organised and even decluttered. Things like:
Do you recognise this experience and want to practice strategies to manage these stressful feelings? Or just wanting to improve your mental wellbeing? Click here to find out what MaxiMinds can do for you.
MaxiMinds is not an emergency mental health service. If you or someone you know are in urgent need of help, please present to the emergency department at your nearest hospital or contact the following mental health crisis teams.
Emergency 000 | Mental Health Line 1800 011 511 | Lifeline 13 14 11