If you’re like 54 percent of Americans, you may be concerned about the levels of stress that you experience throughout everyday life. And if you’re like two-thirds of Americans, you’ve considered seeking help for the levels of stress you experience, according to a 2004 American Psychological Association survey.
I recently had a conversation with someone who didn’t realize what stress even was until after his mid-20s, when he started experiencing severe panic and anxiety attacks.
As many of us know, the first step to getting help for a problem is to admit to it. And how can we admit to something we know nothing about?
Let’s dig deeper.
Stress can be displayed in a myriad of physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, spiritual and relational symptoms.
Physically, you can feel tired, restless or sleepless and experience headaches, backaches, stomachaches, and indigestion, among other symptoms.
Emotionally and spiritually, you can feel lonely, angry, easily upset, nervous, edgy, anxious, doubtful, cynical, apathy, and a loss of meaning, among other things.
Cognitively, stress can affect your ability to think clearly, cause forgetfulness, indecisiveness, and even take away your sense of humor!
The American Psychological Association cites irritability, anger and fatigue as the most common physical symptoms of stress. These feelings not only affect relationships with loved ones, but also our own well-being.
Struggling with these negative emotions is no way to go through life. Although life can pose many frustrating, stressful, and overwhelming situations, we should not think of them as end-alls, but rather as exciting new challenges.
Sound funny? This positive spin on your perspective can seriously mean a big difference in your health.
There are bodies of research that support the fact that a positive mindset can make a positive impact on one’s health (read more here.
So challenge yourself by creating and achieving short and long-term goals for that next big project at work. And if your boss gives you grief, challenge yourself by killing her with kindness (as you should, to keep your job) and seeing how little you can let it bother you, or how quickly you can brush it off.
This spring, let’s clean more than just the house — let’s sweep away that stress and negativity, too!
Sources:
Stressed in America . (n.d.). American Psychological Association (APA) . Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/01/stressed-america.aspx
Authentic Happiness :: Using the new Positive Psychology. (n.d.). :: Authentic Happiness :: Using the new Positive Psychology. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletter.aspx?id=1559
Stress Statistics | Natural Wellness Care for a Better You!. (n.d.). Reclaim a Life of Wellness & Vitality | Natural Wellness Care. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://www.naturalwellnesscare.com/stress-statistics.html
Stress Warning Signals | Natural Wellness Care for a Better You!. (n.d.). Reclaim a Life of Wellness & Vitality | Natural Wellness Care. Retrieved March 20, 2012, from
http://www.naturalwellnesscare.com/stress-warning-signals.html
Reviewed March 28, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith