Chronic Stress and the Power of Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Managing stress is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Everyone handles different levels of stress daily. How you learn to approach and navigate your stress is a huge indicator of your quality of life. Chronic stress has been linked to many different physical and mental health issues when left unmanaged. So what are some signs of poorly coping with stress, and what can you do to reclaim some of your power surrounding stressful situations?

Signs of Poorly Managed Stress

It’s not always as easy to realize just how stressed you are. Even when you are the one feeling the emotions and experiencing life. When we get into the habit of brushing aside our issues or personal problems, we are creating an environment for ourselves where stress can fly under the radar. The catch here though is that stress can quickly build up. Some indicators of unchecked stress include:

• consistent/regular headaches

• Insomnia ~or~ oversleeping

• Loss of Interest in activities

• Increase ~or~ decrease in appetite

• Increased anxiety/worry

• Struggling to focus or concentrate

• Sudden weight loss ~or~ weight gain

Developing Healthy Coping Mechanisms

To help yourself work through stress, you need to find ways to navigate before the stressor becomes too big. This means using the list above to help indicate triggers or tell that you are dealing with more stress than usual.

 

Once you are aware of your stress, and hopefully your stressor, you can decide how to navigate. Find a method that helps you step away from the situation and break down the stressor in a way that makes sense to you. This could be as simple as removing yourself from a room to take a breath. It could also be more complicated, like completely leaving a toxic job or relationship.

 

Once you have a better understanding of the situation, create a mindful approach. Some people enjoy journaling through their thoughts or confiding in a trusted therapist or friend. Turn from excessive alcohol and other stimulants as a way to cope with stress. These temporary fixes often lead to more stress than you began with. The most important note to remember when dealing with stress is that there is nothing you cannot manage. No matter how big an issue appears to be before you, it’s cannot dominate your ability to break it down and work through it.