Stress: The Unhealthy Badge of Honor

Stress and Mental Health

Do you work too much? Have too little time for yourself, family or others? Well, join the crowd. The 8-hour workday seems to be a thing of the past with many people working 9 or 10 hours a day-not to mention commuting-leaving little time for personal wellness. Jam-packed and overloaded schedules, often worn as a kind of badge of honor, can add to the perceived success and importance of a person but can lead to stress. This kind of stress can cause depression and problems in functioning day to day.

How Much Is Too Much?

It’s important to realize there are different types of stress in life. In many ways, stress is a normal and even helpful part of life; feeling stressed about a huge deadline or major life event can help to motivate us. Not only can it motivate us but it can also trigger the flight-or-fight response that helps to mobilize us when urgently needed. The problem starts when stress becomes chronic or when we are overwhelmed by negative events and our reaction to them.

Physical & Mental Complications of Stress

Many aspects of health and happiness can suffer when stress becomes too much to handle. Chronic stress is a lingering sense of emotional pressure for long periods of time. It can make you feel like you have little or no control. This type of stress can cause a variety of mental and physical health problems or make existing conditions even worse. Chronic stress is often associated with obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes just to name a few. Stress can also trigger or worsen mental problems such as anxiety or depression.

How to manage stress

Luckily, there are many ways you can manage the different types of stress in your life. Start by identifying your stressors. Find healthy ways to alleviate stress through time management skills or more sleep for clarity and restoration.

If you feel like stress controls your life and happiness, give our office a call today to learn more about effective treatment options for depression and anxiety.

Since we all respond to stress differently, it’s essential to identify your personal stressors and work through them. Try to develop better time management skills, get more sleep, and schedule some “me time”.