Less stress equals a better quality of life.
Stress is not always bad. It can help you react quickly and effectively, and in small doses, it helps you stay focused, energetic and alert. However, when it is constant, it becomes overwhelming and can damage your health, mood, productivity, relationships and overall quality of life. Stress can creep up on you. You may not even realise how much it is impacting your life. By learning more about the signs and symptoms of stress, you can help protect yourself against it.
Stress is a term that is commonly used today to describe a normal physical response to challenging and threatening events. Stress typically describes a negative concept that can have an impact on one’s mental and physical well-being. It is often our interpretation of an event that will affect our stress levels. When we sense danger, whether real or imagined, our body’s defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight-freeze” reaction or the stress response. The stress response is our body’s way of protecting us in challenging situations. It can help you to stay focused, alert and even help you act to defend yourself in the event of an emergency. Too much stress, however, is not helpful and can have harmful consequences on your health, mood, productivity and daily functioning.
Stress is related to both external and internal factors. External factors are your physical environment, like your relationship with others, home life, work life, and all the situations, challenges, and expectations that you are confronted with daily. Internal factors determine the body’s ability to respond to and deal with external stress-inducing factors. Internal factors are influenced by your overall health, diet, fitness levels, emotional well-being, and the amount of quality sleep you receive.
How stress management can help you.
If you are suffering from stress, it is important to seek help from a practitioner as soon as possible. The psychologists at Western Plains Psychology can provide support and treatment for people who are stressed by helping them to:
- Manage and restructure negative and irrational thoughts.
- Gain insight into their broader personality factors that contribute to stressful feelings.
- Use of narrative therapy (such as stories) to help the individual increase self-awareness.
- Practice meditative and relaxation techniques.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
- The teaching of relaxation and meditative techniques.
- Understand how aspects of their lifestyle increase stress.
Our therapists have a vast amount of expertise regarding stress management and are available to help you. Contact us today.