Dr. Stephanie Schacher
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Why is it important to manage the stress in our life?

While stress is a common and sometimes unavoidable condition in life, the long-term experience of stressful situations, or chronic stress, can impact our mental health.  It puts us at risk for problems with depression and anxiety, marital discord, and substance abuse.  It can also impact physical health, lowering immune system functioning, and making us more susceptible to cardiovascular illness.  Sources of stress can be found in our jobs, in our family lives, in our financial concerns, and when dealing with the illness of a loved one.  Stress often makes us feel like we have no time or energy for ourselves.  Sometimes stress can make us feel “burnt out”, with little patience left for loved ones and their concerns. 

The APA conducted a survey on stress in 2008 to examine the state of stress and its impact on Americans today.  Nearly half of Americans stated their stress levels had increased over the past year, with most feeling there are not doing enough to manage stress in their lives.  Women, in particular, are reporting higher levels of stress than men, especially when it comes to financial concerns.  They are also reporting symptoms of stress more frequently.  And mothers report higher stress levels and less effective stress management skills than fathers.  Here is a link to the APA survey’s findings: 

http://www.nyspa.org/docs/apa/APA_Stress_in_America_2008_Executive_Summary.pdf

We cannot necessarily control our exposure to stress however, what is important is our ability to cope with stress as it occurs.  The following is a list of common signs of stress:

  Irritability and impatience

  Fatigue and low energy levels

  Poor sleep

  Difficulty concentrating

  Memory lapses

  Headaches

  Muscle Aches

  Stomach upset

  Social withdrawal

  Being either emotionally withdrawn or emotionally over-reactive

  Anxiety and depression

  Increased use of alcohol or drugs

  Decreased intimacy in relationships

In order to learn to deal more effectively with stress, you need to first recognize that you are under stress, the sources of your stress, and the particular ways that stress affects you.  Often, we are not aware of being under stress.  We feel that if we can “tough it out” and cope with our problems, then we are not being affected by stress.  However, this assumption is not correct.  Even highly effective coping with problems will subject us to stress.

Dealing with stress means practicing regular and routine “self-care”.  Self care is when we partake in day to day activities, routines, habits, and good common sense that have beneficial effect for ourselves.  The following are examples, but by no means a complete list of self-care practices:

  Attend to personal needs for rest and leisure

  Get adequate sleep

  Practice good nutrition; eat at routine times rather than   

     haphazardly or “on the go”

  Engage in stress management exercises such as rhythmic

     breathing, imagery, mindfulness meditation, and muscle

     relaxation

  Engage in activities that help distract and soothe such as reading,

     going for walks, yoga, music, crafts, hobbies, having a meal with

     a friend 

  Get regular exercise - at the gym, walking with a friend, or taking  

     the dog to the park

  Do things that feel meaningful to you or that encourage personal

     growth; feel like you are contributing to something larger than

     yourself.

  Seek connections with others and build community; find social

     outlets with friends, family, neighbors.