Stress 101
To kick off our Stress Less Challenge, we decided to take a closer look at what stress is, how it helps us, and how it can hurt us. For help, we turned to the experts. Check out the links below to better understand how stress works.
The Stress Response
First, it’s important for us to take a closer look at how stress works. To learn about the body’s stress response, check out the piece, Understanding the Stress Response from Harvard Health.
Good and Bad Stress
As it turns out, stress can be bad, but it can also be good. Learn about the differences between positive and negative stress with Mental Helps’s overview, The Types of Stressors.
Stress and the Body
Chronic distress is the kind of stress that everyone is warning us about, and it can do a number on our bodies. Check out the American Psychological Association’s overview of Stress’s Effects on the Body to see how stress impacts your system.
Stress and the Mind
It’s not just your body that struggles to deal with constant stress; your mind has a hard time functioning properly when stress goes on too long. Check out TedEd’s short video, How Stress Affects Your Brain, for a quick overview, or read Psychology Today’s Chronic Stress Can Damage Brain Connectivity.
Signs of Stress
Sometimes, we’re acutely aware that we’re stressed. And other times, stress creeps into our lives without us realizing that it’s affecting us. In fact, we may tell ourselves and others we’re fine when, in reality, tension is wearing at us. Check out the American Psychological Association’s overview of the warning signs of stress and Psych Central’s The Impact of Stress to get an idea of the ways stress shows itself in our bodies, minds, and actions.
Mitigating Stress
Certainly, some of these findings about stress are alarming! But before you start stressing about stress, remember this: There are a number of healthy, proven steps you can take to reduce stress in your life! And many of those tactics not only help you relieve stress, but bring a number of other positive health and well-being benefits with them.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore these stress-busting tactics on our blog, including how to perform them and why they work. But healthy ways to manage stress is one of our favorite topics, so if you want a head start, visit our blog and look under News Highlights, or select Stress Management from the drop down menu of categories at the bottom of the page. You’ll find some tips on mindfulness, sleep, and more!
Disclaimer: As always, our articles are not intended to replace medical advice. Our goal is to help our readers better understand stress and stress-relieving tactics, but if you’re experiencing heavy stress, we encourage you to speak with a health professional.
