What is Stress?
Stress is a state of overwhelm that your body progresses through during times of challenge, hardship, or threat. It can manifest in several ways, and every stress response is unique to the individual experiencing it. Our bodies are designed to avoid any possible danger, and this can be life-saving when danger is present. But when there is no actual threat to your safety, the way your body reacts to chronic stress can have harmful results over time.
How is Stress Affecting My Health?:
Stress is not always a bad thing; it can be beneficial to us in small amounts, building our resilience to challenges and difficult circumstances. However, experiencing chronic stress, which is the state of feeling pressured or overwhelmed for an extended period of time, can cause serious damage to your health.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released to help your body respond to stressful events, but the prolonged presence of this hormone in your body can disrupt your body’s natural processes. Chronic stress therefore puts you at higher risk for several conditions, including heart and cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Finding healthy ways to relieve or cope with stress is the best way to minimize the harmful effects it has when it goes unaddressed.
Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress:
Ground yourself during difficult moments –
Take a deep breath, inhaling in for three seconds and exhaling for three seconds.
You can also try focusing on your physical environment if it is safe. Notice the pull of gravity on your body as it holds you securely to the earth. Ask and answer questions about your environment: What colors do you see around you? What shapes? What do you smell? How does the ground feel on your feet below you?
Identify social support and utilize it –
Talking through what you are facing helps you feel empowered and gain perspective. Stress can be something that triggers social withdrawal, but social support can provide the relief you are looking for during difficult seasons.
Establish sustainable eating and exercise habits –
Good eating, exercise, and sleeping habits fuel your body to take on the day’s challenges. These things also contribute to a sense of balance.
Be mindful of stress triggers –
Not all things or environments that cause stress can be avoided, but you do have some control. Limiting stress can be as simple as putting yourself in environments to be successful, drawing boundaries with those who induce stress, and making small changes within the nonnegotiable environments that give you some control back. Small actions like turning the television or radio off, or leaving a little margin in your schedule to be able to prepare yourself for upcoming tasks can help a lot.
The Stress of Unexpected Pregnancy
Discovering a pregnancy that wasn’t planned can be overwhelming, adding a weight far beyond everyday stressors. This news can easily send your body and mind into a state of overwhelm, and you may feel pressure to make a decision quickly. This feels urgent, but you have time to decide your next steps from a grounded place. Give your mind and body what it needs to recenter, beginning with a deep breath. Connect with a friend, family member, or someone you trust, and be open about what you’re going through. Remind yourself that responding from a calm, steady place rather than from a heightened state will help you make a decision that’s right for you.
We can help
Schedule a support meeting online or by phone to meet with Laura, our Client Specialist, who is equipped to talk through stressors you might be experiencing right now. Our team wants to help connect you with tangible resources and holistic support. We’re committed to helping women in our community thrive.
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