The short answer is an emphatic yes. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared stress the health epidemic of the 21st century. Take a minute to think about stress in your own life. What sources of stress came to mind? Finances, relationships, work, health, and safety are the top five sources of chronic stress. If any of these made your list, you’re in good company. If we accept that stress is an epidemic, what does that really mean, and how do we deal with it? You can learn more about stress and the importance of stress management in this blog or by scheduling therapy sessions with one of our trusted counselors.
Exactly What Is Stress?
Stress is about pressure. In physics, stress is the amount of pressure or force an object can withstand before being damaged or weakened. Every day, people experience some level of stress. Some stressors are manageable. Maybe you left late for work or forgot to send your child’s homework with them to school. These small stressors may cause a temporary increase in our feelings of worry, but they are easily resolved.
Then, there are the bigger, chronic stressors. For many people these chronic sources of stress are things like financial instability or worry, familial or relationship struggles, and work or career pressures. Over the last few years, fears about physical health and safety have also become common chronic sources of stress. These types of stress may not be easily resolved. Instead, they place added pressure on us every day, taxing our minds and bodies. This makes it more difficult to manage and resolve smaller sources of stress.
How Does Stress Impact the Body?
If you’re currently dealing with stress, even reading the previous paragraph was probably a bit overwhelming. Stress response is hard on the body. When we experience stress, our body enters the fight, flight, or freeze response cycle. In situations like running late to work, you will likely feel better after making it to your workplace. This resolution sends the body into a sense of relief, allowing you to let go of the elevated stress response. So, what happens with chronic stress? How does the body know it’s time to let go of the stress response and relax? The short answer is – it doesn’t. People end up living with elevated levels of stress that negatively impact the body, causing:
- Increased cortisol production that can impact metabolism
- High blood pressure
- Digestive issues
- Muscle pain
- Headaches and migraines
- Exhaustion and fatigue
- Changes to sleep patterns
Can Therapy Help Reduce Stress?
If stress is an epidemic, therapy may be the best medicine to cure it. Stress causes our bodies to enter the elevated fight, flight, or freeze state, but therapy can help you reduce the impact of this response on your body. Stress reduction is all about learning a set of strategies to alleviate the impact of stress on our daily lives while developing skills to manage or resolve the underlying sources of stresses. We can’t really get rid of our sources of stress, but we can change the way they impact us. When you’re ready to learn more about how therapy can help with stress management, get in touch with the team of therapists at LMV Counseling. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
