Let Us Join Stress Awareness Month!
BY: Neighbors’ Consejo|
April is National Stress Awareness Month to raise awareness of the negative impact of stress. In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, stress is a common experience that can negatively impact our mental and physical health. By educating ourselves about stress and its effects, we can take steps to manage it and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. In this article, we will explore the importance of stress awareness and provide tips on how to reduce stress in our daily lives.
Let us remember some history about this topic [1] : “Early 20th century, American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon coins the term “flight-or-flight response”. It is now generally described as being the first state of general adaptation syndrome that organisms use to deal with stress. In 1936, Viennese physician Hans Selye begins his pioneering studies into stress at McGill University in Montreal. It was Selye who developed the concept of a general adaptation syndrome. In 1950, American cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman develop their theory of Type A personalities, for whom stress is often a way of life and death.”
The World Health Organization (WHO [2]) define stress “as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way we respond to stress, however, makes a bid difference to our overall wellbeing.” The Cleveland Clinic affirms that stress “is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone. In fact, the human body is designed to experience stress and react to it.”
According to The American Institute of Stress [3] : About 33% of people report feeling extreme stress; 77% of people experience stress that affects their physical health; 73% of people have stress that impacts their mental health; 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress. Unfortunately, for about half of all Americans, levels of stress are getting worse instead of better.
But what are the top causes of stress [4] ? Money, work, the economy, family responsibilities, relationships, personal health issues, housing costs, job stability, family health problems and personal safety. Some common symptoms of stress as:
- 45% of people: Irritability and anger
- 41% of people: Fatigue or low energy
- 38% of people: Lack of motivation or interest in things
- 36% of people: Headaches
- 34% of people: Feeling sad or depressed
- 26% of people: Indigestion, acid reflux or upset stomach
- 23% of people: Muscle tension
- 21% of people: Appetite changes
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC [5]) give us some healthy ways to cope with stress: Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories; take care of yourself; take care of your body; make time to unwind; talk to others; connect with your community or faith-based organizations; avoid drugs and alcohol and recognize when you need more help.
In conclusion, stress is a common experience that can have negative impacts on our physical and mental health. It is important to be aware of the causes and effects and to take steps to manage it in our daily life and, if you need help, just call Neighbors’ Consejo [6] , all our professionals are ready to support you completely free.
We invite you to take this short quiz to know your stress level https://www.psycom.net/stress-test
[1]https://nationaltoday.com/stress-awareness-month/
[2]https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress
[3]https://www.stress.org/daily-life
[4]https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/stress/stress-statistics/#:~:text=According%20to%20The%20American%20Institute,that%20impacts%20their%20mental%20health
[5]https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html