Why Stress Relief is Important During COVID-19
Lacey Why Stress Relief is Important During COVID-19
As COVID-19 changes the world — many of us feel scared, frustrated, grieving, and quite likely, anxious. While this is normal in a time of massive change and disruption to our daily health, it can still cause a lot of stress.
American Psychiatric Association-sponsored surveyed 1,004 American adults in mid-March, 57 percent of people reported being worried about running out of supplies, and 68 percent about the pandemic’s long-term economic effects. Providing for your family or let alone yourself independently is still a growing factor even as the economy starts to reopen.
We know stress has a direct impact on a body’s well being. Depending on the type of stress and level of control, we describe a couple of ways to manage your stress. During the pandemic or after in the future.
Types of Stress
Stress is your body’s reaction to the demands of the world. Stressors are events or conditions in your surroundings that may trigger stress. Your body responds to stressors differently depending on whether the stressor is new or has been a problem for a while. This can gauge the level of stress you’re suffering from and can range with acute stress which is new or short term — or whether the stressor has been around for a longer time — chronic stress.
New or Short Term Stress
Also known as the fight-or-flight response, acute stress is your body’s immediate reaction to a perceived threat, challenge, or scare. The acute-stress response is immediate and intense, and in certain circumstances, it can be thrilling. Examples of acute stressors include having a job interview or getting a speeding ticket.
A single episode of acute stress generally doesn’t cause problems for healthy people. However, severe acute stress can cause mental health problems — such as post-traumatic stress disorder. It can also cause physical difficulties such as tension headaches, stomach problems or serious health issues — such as a heart attack.
Repetitive or Long Term Stress
Mild acute stress can actually be beneficial — it can spur you into action, motivate, and energize you. The problem occurs when stressors pile up and stick around. This persistent stress can lead to health problems, such as headaches and insomnia. The chronic-stress response is more subtle than is the acute-stress response, but the effects may be longer-lasting and more problematic.
How Do I Relieve Stress?
Effective stress management involves identifying and managing both acute and chronic stress. The first and best thing to do when you are stressed is to identify what’s causing you to stress. Sometimes this can be hard to do on your own. Talk to someone close and you trust. Sometimes an outside perspective can help identify your stressors. Another way to do this is to make a list of the situations, concerns or challenges that trigger your stress response. Take a moment to write down some of the top issues you’re facing.
What Are Stressors?
Effective stress management starts with identifying your sources of stress and developing strategies to manage them. You’ll notice that some of your stressors are events that happen to you while others seem to originate from within. It could be issues at home, frustrations with money, a fight with your spouse, or problems at work. Take a moment to think about what these may be and write it down to start a process to manage them. Stress is a fact of life. Manage it, not eliminate it.