Pandemic Stress – How to Listen to Your Body and Act On It!
Stress is an unfortunate but inescapable factor of life. However unpleasant stress may be, you cannot eliminate it from your life. Stress will happen, and right now, in the middle of a global health crisis, chances are you are more stressed than usual. Given what is happening in the world, it is entirely understandable to be stressed. Feeling stress is natural, but stress can take a toll on your body. You might feel like stress is all in your head, but stress affects your whole body. If you have noticed changes in your body as your stress levels increase, you should listen to the warning signs. Once you recognize adverse effects from stress, you must take active steps to act on and mitigate the stress. Use these suggestions to identify and manage your stress during this pandemic.
Signs Of Stress
Stress is a natural reaction to a change that requires a response or adjustment. You can feel stressed from work, home life, world events, or anything else as stress can come from anywhere. Even positive events can cause stress; landing a promotion at work is a positive event, but can still result in stress. Thankfully, the human body is designed to handle stress, but stress becomes harmful when it causes daily life challenges. At a basic level, stress is the fight or flight response, but chronic stress will cause wear and tear on the body and mind.
There is a wide variety of signs of stress ranging from common and easy to overlook to serious indicators of larger problems. Headaches, racing heart, weight fluctuations, upset stomach, digestive issues like candida, trouble focusing, and sleeping problems are common signs of stress. Chronic stress can give way to more serious issues like depression and anxiety. However, excessive stress is also linked to heart disease, accidents, and other critical health conditions. Stress can manifest in so many different ways, and each person responds to stress differently, so you must learn to listen to your body and identify issues. If you notice a change in your body, thoughts, or environment, take a moment to see if stress could be to blame.
Managing Stress
Managing stress is an essential life skill. Just like how stress presents in different ways in different people, the best methods for managing stress varies from person to person. General steps everyone should practice for stress management include eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and regular exercise. It may sound too good to be true, but living an overall healthy and balanced life will reduce stress. There is no magic quick fix for stress; you must invest in learning to manage stress in your everyday life.
A good idea for managing stress is to create a schedule and layout precisely what is happening in your life. A day to day schedule will keep you from feeling overwhelmed and combat the worry that you are forgetting something important. Day to day schedules add up to a more extensive plan so you can keep your week, month, or even year on track while mitigating stress. Be sure to include time for yourself in your daily schedules; relaxing and unwinding is a crucial stress management component. You can also incorporate breathing exercises and meditation to breathe through stressful situations. Do not forget to talk to people as well. Managing stress by yourself is possible, but talking with friends, family, or a counselor over video chat can help you better air out your stress.
Above all else, the key to managing stress is to recognize and fulfill your personal needs. If you are burned out and need a break, there is no shame in taking a day for yourself to manage stress. Recognize what triggers your stress and what you can do to manage triggers. Your needs are essential, and when your needs are not met, your stress will worsen. Know yourself, know your limits, triggers, and coping methods to make it through a stressful situation until you can fully decompress later.
Stress is an inescapable factor in life, and during these particularly turbulent times, we are more stressed than average. To manage stress, you must recognize the symptoms of stress. Pay attention to your body, and do not ignore creeping signs of stress. Take the time to manage your stress with a healthy lifestyle and personal methods that help you reduce tension. By being conscious of stress and actively taking steps to handle it, you can manage your stress during this pandemic.