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What is stress?

Stress is our body's response to pressure. Many different situations or life events can cause stress. It is often triggered when we experience something new, unexpected or that threatens our sense of self, or when we feel we have little control over a situation.

We all deal with stress differently. Our ability to cope can depend on our genetics, early life events, personality and social and economic circumstances.

When we encounter stress, our body produces stress hormones that trigger a fight or flight response and activate our immune system. This helps us respond quickly to dangerous situations.

Sometimes, this stress response can be useful: it can help us push through fear or pain so we can run a marathon or deliver a speech, for example. Our stress hormones will usually go back to normal quickly once the stressful event is over, and there won't be any lasting effects.

However, too much stress can cause negative effects. It can leave us in a permanent stage of fight or flight, leaving us overwhelmed or unable to cope. Long term, this can affect our physical and mental health.

What makes us stressed?

Even positive life changes, such as moving to a bigger house, gaining a job promotion or going on holiday can be sources of stress. If you feel stressed in these situations you may struggle to understand why or be unwilling to share your feelings with others.

What are the signs of stress?

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Stress is our body's response to pressure. Many different situations or life events can cause stress. It is often triggered when we experience something new, unexpected or that threatens our sense of self, or when we feel we have little control over a situation. We all deal with stress differently.

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There are 3 main types of stress that we should know:
- Acute Stress
- Episodic Acute Stress
- Chronic Stress

Knowing the types of stress and how our body responds to them can help us to better deal with our stress.

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Stress

Feeling stressed? Understanding why you feel the way you do - and what to do about it - is important.

This page explores what stress is and three common types of stress. Read on to learn what goes on in your body when you feel stressed and how to recognise each stress type.

What is stress?

Stress is the body's physical response to a real or perceived threat, demand, or danger.

When you feel threatened, your body releases stress hormones which prepare the body to respond. This is called the "fight or flight" response.

Stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, make your:

Sometimes a pressurised situation triggers a stress response. The situation may not actually put you in danger. But your body may react as if it does.

A stress response can be helpful in some situations. It can increase your performance. But sometimes it can be detrimental to your mental health.

Recognising the different types of stress - and how your body responds to them - can help you get help with stress when you need it.

Common types of stress

There are three main types of stress. These are acute, episodic acute, and chronic stress. We explore each type of stress below.

Acute stress

The most common type of stress, acute stress, can be helpful in short doses. It is the body's response to a recent or anticipated challenge or unexpected event.

Common symptoms of acute stress include:

Sometimes acute stress is more severe. For example, if you witness a crime or accident. Severe acute stress can lead to acute stress disorder or PTSD.

Occasional, moderate acute stress tends not to cause mental health problems. But if it starts to happen more often it may cause issues. This is called episodic acute stress and is explored below.

Episodic acute stress

Episodic acute stress is when a person experiences acute stress frequently.

If you have episodic acute stress, you may feel like you are always under pressure or that things are always going wrong. This can be exhausting, both physically and mentally.

Experiencing episodic acute stress symptoms may affect the way you behave towards others. Left untreated, episodic acute stress can lead to:

Experiencing episodic acute stress may indicate the need to make some lifestyle changes. You may need to reduce the demands you make of yourself, or that others make of you.

If you think you may be experiencing episodic acute stress, speak to your doctor. The doctor can help you to find ways to manage this.

Chronic stress

Chronic stress is ongoing stress resulting from long-term emotional pressure. For example, a stressful job, unhappy family situation, or money problems.

If you have chronic stress, your body experiences the fight or flight response too frequently to recover between episodes. This means your nervous system is constantly aroused, which is not good for your health.

Left untreated, chronic stress can cause physical health problems. Research links chronic stress to heart disease and problems with the immune system. Up to 43 percent of adults experience adverse health effects from stress.

Depending on your personal situation, you may not be able to change what's causing your chronic stress. But it is possible to find ways to manage the effects chronic stress has on your health.

If you think you may have chronic stress, speak to your doctor. The doctor can help you find ways to manage stressors and symptoms.

Getting help to manage chronic stress will reduce the likelihood of it impacting your physical health.

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Feeling stressed? Understanding why you feel the way you do - and what to do about it - is important. This page explores what stress is and three common types of stress. Read on to learn what goes on in your body when you feel stressed and how to recognise each stress type.

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Stress can affect you physically and cause serious problems.
https://www.bupa.com/newsroom/news/answering-common-questions-about-stress

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Steps to Manage Stress While Building Resilience

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Steps to Manage Stress While Building Resilience

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Stress is unavoidable but it can also be beneficial. This article explains how to manage chronic stress and use it to your advantage.

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As recent months have demonstrated, stress is unavoidable. Now more than ever, it's important to understand stress and how we can manage it. While stress can be beneficial, too much of it can be harmful.

When the body senses a threat (or stressor), it goes on high alert, and once the threat passes, the body quickly recovers. At least that's the way it's supposed to work. Stressors can include health matters, work, money, family issues, racism or gender inequality, and regular daily hassles. With unrelenting or too many stressors, your body might be on a constant state of high alert, leading to poor concentration, bad moods, professional burnout, and mental and physical health problems. When stress becomes chronic, the body cannot return to normal functioning. Chronic stress can be linked with health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and anxiety.

Stress affects women and men differently. Many conditions associated with stress - such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety - are more common in women than men.

Beyond sex and gender differences, there are individual differences, too. Some people are more resilient than others. Stress affects them less or more temporarily, and they might even perform better under stress. "There's a saying, 'It's not how far you fall; it's how high you bounce.' For those of us who don't bounce back so easily, there's good news. Resilience, to some extent, can be learned and there are some simple, practical things that people can do that may make a noticeable difference," says Dr. Janine Austin Clayton, Director of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health. Clayton explains that some resilient people might also develop a greater appreciation for their lives, family, friends or other matters after stress.

Stress management and resilience building are particularly important to the health of women. Here are several tips to help women as well as men:

1. Recognize and counter signs of stress. Your body sends signals that it's stressed, including difficulty concentrating, headaches, cold hands, tight muscles, a nervous stomach, clenched teeth, feeling on edge, fidgety, irritable or withdrawn. Knowing how your body communicates can help you deal with stressful moments. Learn to not only recognize but also to name these feelings, either to oneself or to a friend. Then, take action to counter their effects. For example, deep breathing, stretching, going for a walk, writing down your thoughts and taking quiet time to focus can help induce relaxation and reduce tension.

2. Take time for yourself. Make taking care of yourself a daily routine. It's not selfish or self-indulgent - and it might require saying "no" to requests or prioritizing yourself along with your responsibilities. Start with small changes in your routine to help build resilience to stressful circumstances. Work in time to exercise, eat healthy foods, participate in relaxing activities and sleep. In fact, including a regimen of exercise, which for some may include yoga or meditation, can be very important when feeling stressed. Also, take time to notice the "good minutes" in each day or to do something that you enjoy, such as reading a book or listening to music, which can be a way to shift your attention and focus on the positive rather than the negative.

3. Try new routines. From scheduling bath and bedtimes to blocking off time to plan and prioritize tasks, additional structure can provide a daily framework that allows you to attune to your body's signals. Then, you can take steps to potentially manage stress earlier than you once did.

4. Stay connected and make new friends. Stay in touch with family, friends and groups in your life - technology makes this easier than ever. Having or being a person to talk with can be reassuring and calming. Using video features can enhance the connection in telecommunication or online communications for some people.

5. See problems through a different lens. Experts call changing the way we think about and respond to stress "reframing." View sitting in traffic or around the house as an opportunity to enjoy music, podcasts or pleasant views. Reduce anger in response to rude or aggressive behavior by imagining what might be happening in that person's life. Keeping situations in perspective is an important way to boost stress resilience. Other steps include positive thinking and creating plans before you begin to resolve problems. You can practice reframing and get better at it over time.

6. Seek help with problems. Many people experience the same day-to-day strains related to caregiving, relationships, health, work and money. Look to friends and family, as appropriate, or other trusted individuals or resources for tips and information.

7. Talk to a health professional if stress is affecting your well-being, you feel you cannot manage the stress you're experiencing, or stress has caused you to engage in or increase substance use. Seek appropriate care if stress is harming your relationships or ability to work. If you have suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Lifeline chat is a service available to everyone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, if you need help locating a mental health provider, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a site that can assist you at https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov. People who have experienced traumatic stress (directly or indirectly experiencing life-threatening and dangerous events) should find a treatment provider who practices trauma informed care - see https://go.usa.gov/xvydm for details. Additionally, in times of disasters and other sorts of emergencies, the National Disaster Distress Helpline (Call 1-800-985-5990 or text "TALKWITHUS" to 66746) can provide crisis counseling, emotional support and referrals to care related to disasters and public health emergencies.

Recognizing individual signals of a body's stress responses and learning to respond to those signals in new ways can help build the emotional, intellectual and physical strength that comprise resilience, which can help you tackle future stressors.

The NIH supports research to understand how stress affects health - and why some are resilient to stress while others have difficulties, as well as how different therapies and resilience-boosting techniques work and have a positive effect on health and well-being. The NIH Office of Research on Women's Health offers links to information about stress (including anxiety about the coronavirus), wellness, tips on managing common sources of stress, and opportunities to join research projects on stress or other health matters at https://go.usa.gov/xvydm.

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7 Steps to Manage Stress and Build Resilience | Office of Research on Women's Health

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As recent months have demonstrated, stress is unavoidable. Now more than ever, it's important to understand stress and how we can manage it. While stress can be beneficial, too much of it can be harmful. When the body senses a threat (or stressor), it goes on high alert, and once the threat passes, the body quickly recovers.

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https://web-p-ebscohost-com.northeastlakeviewcollege.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=aa86f28a-e8c9-41b8-9cf1-f382887172a7%40redis

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Stress is much more than just an uneasy feeling. This article goes in depth about the chemical processes that occur in our body systems when we are stressed.

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Abstract

Stress, both physical and psychological, is attracting increasing attention among neuroresearchers. In the last 20 decades, there has been a surge of interest in the research of stress-induced manifestations and this approach has resulted in the development of more appropriate animal models for stress-associated pathologies and its therapeutic management. These stress models are an easy and convenient method for inducing both psychological and physical stress. To understand the behavioral changes underlying major depression, molecular and cellular studies are required. Dysregulation of the stress system may lead to disturbances in growth and development, and may this may further lead to the development of various other psychiatric disorders. This article reviews the different types of stress and their neurobiology, including the different neurotransmitters affected. There are various complications associated with stress and their management through various pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques. The use of herbs in the treatment of stress-related problems is practiced in both Indian and Western societies, and it has a vast market in terms of anti-stress medications and treatments. Non-pharmacological techniques such as meditation and yoga are nowadays becoming very popular as a stress-relieving therapy because of their greater effectiveness and no associated side effects. Therefore, this review highlights the changes under stress and stressor and their impact on different animal models in understanding the mechanisms of stress along with their effective and safe management.

KEY WORDS: Animal models, depression, manifestations, neurotransmitters, stress, therapeutic management

Stress is a common experience of daily life and all organisms have developed mechanisms to cope with it. Sustained stress can have numerous pathophysiological effects such as activation of neuro-endocrine (limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal system)[ 1] and hormonal (corticosterone release) functions.[ 2] Sustained and persistent stressful conditions can precipitate anxiety and affective disorders such as depression, which further leads to the excessive production of free radicals and oxidative burden.[ 3] In an organism, diverse stressors activate a wide spectrum of interacting hormonal and neuronal systems resulting in behavioral (anxiety disorders, decrease in food intake, decrease in sexual behavior, and loss of cognitive function) and physiological responses (activation of pituitary adrenal axis and release of glucocorticoids into the blood stream).[ 4] These stressors are stimulators of arousal and lead to autonomic (changes in body temperature and tachycardia) and behavioral changes; however, when arousal increases to stress-like levels, it results in psychiatric and physical disorders[ 5] []. Different animal models have been developed for chronic stress-induced neurological disorders such as the olfactory bulbectomy model, and the chronic unpredictable stress model. These animal models are used to screen various new chemical entities and to develop a better understanding of the underlying molecular pathway in chronic stress pathology. Stress responses are variable and there are individual differences both physiologically and behaviorally in how an organism perceives a perturbation and in the resulting adaptational/maladaptational processes.[ 6]

Stress and Stressors

Stress can be defined generally as responses to demands upon the body.[ 7] It is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response[ 8]. It can come from any situation or thought that makes one feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious. Conceptually, stress can be any threat, either real or perceived, to the well-being of an organism and it can be of two types as shown in .

Table 1

Stressor is a stimulus, either internal or external, that activates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system resulting in physiological change.[ 9] Long-term exposure to stressors can cause depression,[ 10] post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders. The degree of behavioral control that an individual has over a stressor often determines the consequence of that stressor and plays a key role in the development of pathological behaviors after a traumatic event.[ 11] The potency to cope with the stressors is a fundamental requirement for survival. Brain is the target for different stressors because of its high sensitivity to stress-induced degenerative conditions.[ 12] The brain tissue is made up of large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acid, thus making it vulnerable to free radical attacks.[ 13]

Neurobiology of Stress

Hormonal involvement

In biological terms, stress has been defined by various physiologic changes including activation of the pituitary adrenal axis, which leads to the liberation of adrenal steroids triggered by the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary.[ 1] This ACTH stimulation is controlled by the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) present in the hypothalamus and released in response to various stressors. This over-activation can produce the psychopathology of anxiety such as disorders, depression, and even damage to body organs in chronic severe cases.[ 7] The stress-responsive systems are interconnected and the activation of the HPA axis is facilitated by stress-induced norepinephrine (NE) release in certain regions of the brain such as hippocampus and amygdala.[ 14] Any dysregulation of these systems can lead to various stress-related complications.[ 15] CRF is the principal activator of ACTH secretion by the anterior pituitary.[ 1]. Activation of this axis, also called the HPA axis, results in glucocorticoid release into systemic circulation. These glucocorticoids are in turn considered to be key players in an organism's response to stress.[ 16] Stress and glucocorticoids have specific effects on cognitive functions in humans and in animal models. Adrenal steroids and stressful events result in short-term and reversible deficits in episodic and spatial memory in both animal models and humans. Acute effects of stress are evident within a time span ranging from a few hours to a day are generally reversible and selective to a particular task or situation.[ 17]

Neurotransmitters and Stress

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

It is an important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. The role of GABA and benzodiazepine receptors has been well documented in stress disorders such as anxiety, epilepsy, insomnia, and convulsive disorders.[ 18] Stress has been reported to alter the content of the GABA neurotransmission, which suggests the involvement of GABA in stress-induced behavioral and biochemical alterations.[ 19] Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxy-tryptamine) is a secretory product primarily synthesized in the pineal gland and released into the blood stream and cerebrospinal fluid. Study revealed the involvement of GABAergic mechanism in the hypnotic action of melatonin.[ 20] Stress induces the release of CRF and GABA from the amygdale and hypothalamus.[ 21] It down-regulates vesicular glutamate transporter and its coupling with GABA-synthesizing enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) in response to maternal separation could lead to decreased GABA levels in the hippocampus.[ 22]

Dopamine

Stress-induced changes in dopamine (DA) levels within terminal areas seem to involve mainly ventral tegmental area projecting cells. Findings from preclinical studies suggest an uneven response of DA in different stressful stimuli. Specifically, an acute and controllable/escapable physical stress was seen to cause an enhanced DA efflux in the ventral striatum, whereas chronic and uncontrollable/inescapable exposure to the same stress attenuated DA release. Parkinson's disease is an age-associated neurodegenerative disease, clinically characterized as a movement disorder arising due to selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the ventral midbrain, thereby depleting the dopamine levels in the striatum.

Norepinephrine

Brain epinephrine serves globally as an alarm system that decreases neurovegetative functions, such as eating and sleeping, and this contributes to accompanying increase in autonomic and neuroendocrine responses to stress, including HPA axis activation.[ 23] NE also activates the amygdala, the principal brain locus for fear-related behaviors, and enhances the long-term storage of aversively charged emotional memories in sites such as the hippocampus and striatum. Monoaminergic systems regulate the activity of neurons in the amygdala.[ 24] Stress has been reported to increase the turnover of NE in many terminal projection areas of the locus ceruleus[ 25] and also increase extracellular NE in the hippocampus. There are substantial evidences suggesting that neurons in the brain containing and secreting noradrenaline and CRF are activated during stress.[ 26] Hence, it is quite evident that both noradrenaline and CRF are involved in behavioral responses to stress [].[ 27, 28]

Serotonin

Previous reports have suggested that stress affects the activity of central dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons.[ 29, 30] Interactions between serotonin and CRF have been demonstrated by various studies in different parts of the brain []. Studies have proved that significant reduction in serotonin level increases the responsiveness to stress.[ 31, 32] Hippocampal serotonin concentrations are increased during psychosocial conflict in animals.[ 33] The 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A (5-HT 1A) receptors are down-regulated in distinct brain regions including the hippocampus and cortex following stress.[ 34]

Melatonin

It is synthesized from tryptophan within the pinealocytes. Most synthetic activity occurs during the dark phase, with a major increase (7-150 fold) in the activity of serotonin-N-acetyltransferase.[ 35] Melatonin, being an endogenous hormone, has also been known to improve the quality of sleep and reduce the formation of free radicals; it also allows the restoration of antioxidant enzymes.[ 36] Serotonin is the intermediate product in melatonin synthesis and in the presence of serotonin-N-transferase it gets converted into N-acetyl serotonin, which further with the help of hydroxyl indole o-methyl transferase gets converted into melatonin []. Thus, there is possibility of the involvement of serotonergic neurotransmission in the protective effects of melatonin.

Glutamate

There is substantial evidence indicating that the Para ventricular nucleus (PVN) receives glutaminergic innervations from large brain areas involving the PVN itself and several other nuclei in and outside the hypothalamus. Among the neuroanatomical regions of glutamatergic afferents to the PVN, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus is the candidate locus for glutamatergic neurons that could be activated by immobilization stress. Microinjection of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) into the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus causes an increase in glutamate release in the PVN and results in cardiovascular response very similar to the one evoked by emotional stress.[ 37]

Consequences of Stress

Normal development and preservation of life and species depend on a normally functioning stress system. Maladaptive neuroendocrine responses, i.e., dysregulation of the stress system, may lead to disturbances in growth and development, and cause psychiatric, endocrine/metabolic, and/or autoimmune diseases or vulnerability to such diseases.

Stress and anxiety

According to previous reports stress induces anxiety-like behavior in both humans and animals.[ 38] In response to stress, there is an increase in CRF levels. The CRF level decreases when the stressor is no longer present. Lee, et al. reported that chronic stress increases the length and volume of expression of CRF in areas of the brain associated with fear and emotion, including the amygdala[ 39] []. Such chronic stress changes the body's response, and the resulting increased expression of CRF is believed to be the cause of health-related stress problems such as anxiety, depression, and infertility.[ 40] Exposure to stress represents an important factor for a number of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders.[ 41] There are earlier reports of enhanced noradrenergic or HPA axis activity in many psychopathological states such as depression and anxiety disorders.[ 42, 43]

Oxidative stress contributes toward neuronal degeneration in the central nervous system in the process of aging as well as neurodegenerative diseases.[ 44] The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is greatly increased under many conditions of toxic stress.[ 45] One of the reasons for stress-induced enhancement of free radicals may be the elevation of nitric oxide (NO) production.[ 46] This is further supported by the present determination of nitrite levels, which revealed significant increase in brain NO levels in stressed mice. The reactive nitrogen species along with ROS, working in concert with an inflammatory process, may play a substantial role in the pathogenesis of depression.[ 46] Stress has been shown to be responsible for the depletion of several free radical detoxifying enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase.[ 47] This results in oxidative burden, which has been implicated in stress as well as in the pathogenesis of several disease states. Since brain tissues consist of a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and one of the important consequences of oxidative stress is peroxidation of membrane lipids, this reaction produces marked damage to the structure and function of cell membranes in these tissues.[ 48] Therefore, lipid peroxidation was supposed as the major biochemical alteration and consequence of oxidant-induced cell injury. Thus, the important consequences of stress could be attributed to stress-induced lipid peroxidation.

Stress and memory loss

Memory impairment is a common and usual comorbidity associated with exposure to prolonged stress. Chronic stress has been found to induce cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric patients, which leads to the loss of synaptic connectivity and perhaps neuronal networks in limbic brain structures including the hippocampus and cortex. This further leads to loss of cholinergic neurons and results in a state of dementia.

Stress and its metabolic consequences

Activation of the stress system leads to behavioral and hormonal changes that improve the ability of the organism to adjust to homeostasis and increase its chances of survival.[ 49] Hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing harmone (CRH) plays a major role in inhibiting gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion during stress, while via somatostatin it also inhibits growth hormone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and thyrotropin secretion, thus suppressing reproduction, growth, and thyroid function. Chronic activation of the stress system would be expected to increase visceral adiposity, decrease lean body (muscle and bone) mass, and suppress osteoblastic activity.[ 23] Glucocorticoids directly inhibit pituitary gonadotropin, growth hormone, and thyrotropin secretion and make the target tissues of sex steroids and growth factors resistant to these substances.[ 50] Glucocorticoids also have direct effects on the bone, inhibiting osteoblastic activity and causing osteoporosis.[ 49] Obese subjects with psychiatric manifestations ranging from those of melancholic depression to anxiety with perception of 'uncontrollable' stress frequently have mild hypercortisolism. Stress-induced hypercortisolism and visceral obesity and their cardiovascular as well as other sequel increase the mortality risk of affected subjects by 2-3fold and curtail their life expectancy by several years.[ 23]

Stress and immunological changes

Stress has been associated with impaired immune function and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases.[ 51] It is now believed that the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are so intimately connected that they should be regarded as a single network rather than as three separate systems.[ 51] It is widely accepted that psychological stress and psychiatric illness can compromise immune function,[ 52] and soluble mediators released by immune cells can affect the central nervous system, thus producing alterations in behavior. Exposure to stressful life events such as academic examinations and divorce was reported to cause impairments in various aspects of cellular immune function.[ 53] There are also reports of immune activation,[ 53] in addition to immunosuppression in both the depressed and subjects exposed to stressful life events.

Conclusions

Although stress has been intensely studied over the past half-century, the mechanism of stress is still unknown because of a wide array of cellular activities. However, investigations into the mechanisms regarding these roles are still yielding new surprises and twists. This review describes stressor and neurobiology of stress in relation to their animal model. It also discusses the pathological and clinical symptomatic management of stress. However, further research investigations arerequired to reveal the unknown mechanisms that would help in developing a mechanism that would help manage stress.

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Stress, both physical and psychological, is attracting increasing attention among neuroresearchers. In the last 20 decades, there has been a surge of interest in the research of stress-induced manifestations and this approach has resulted in the development of more appropriate animal models for stress-associated pathologies and its therapeutic management.

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5 Weird Ways Stress Can Actually Be Good for You

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The word “Stress” sounds like a negative things, but beside that, it also have a positive face. Stress can be considered as one of the types of motivation, it helps boost brainpower, increase immunity in the short term…

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We hear over and over again that stress is unhealthy. And all that talk makes us, well, stressed. Here's how a little short-term anxiety can actually benefit your brain and body.

We hear over and over again that stress is unhealthy. And all that talk makes us, well, stressed. But getting worked up isn't always a bad thing, says Richard Shelton, MD, vice chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alabama Birmingham; after all, the body's fight-or-flight response is meant to be protective, not harmful.

It's only when stress becomes chronic, or when we feel we're no longer in control of a situation, that it negatively affects our health and wellbeing.

Here, then, are five reasons you should rest easier when it comes to everyday stress-and how a little short-term anxiety can actually benefit your brain and body.

It helps boost brainpower

Low-level stressors stimulate the production of brain chemicals called neurotrophins, and strengthen the connections between neurons in the brain. In fact, this may be the primary mechanism by which exercise (a physical stressor) helps boost productivity and concentration, Dr. Shelton says. Short-term psychological stressors, he adds, can have a similar effect, as well. Plus, animal studies have suggested that the body's response to stress can temporarily boost memory and learning scores.

It can increase immunity-in the short term

"When the body responds to stress, it prepares itself for the possibility of injury or infection," says Dr. Shelton. "One way it does this is by producing extra interleukins-chemicals that help regulate the immune system-providing at least a temporary defensive boost." Research in animals support this idea, as well: A 2012 Stanford study found that subjecting lab rats to mild stress produced a "massive mobilization" of several types of immune cells in their bloodstreams.

It can make you more resilient

Learning to deal with stressful situations can make future ones easier to manage, according to a large body of research on the science of resilience. It's the idea behind Navy SEAL training, Dr. Shelton says-although you can certainly benefit from less extreme experiences, as well. "Repeated exposure to stressful events gives [SEALs] the chance to develop both a physical and psychological sense of control, so when they're in actually combat they don't just shut down," he says.

This idea may even hold true at a cellular level: A 2013 University of California San Francisco study found that while chronic stress promotes oxidative damage to our DNA and RNA, moderate levels of perceived daily stress actually seem to protect against it and enhance "psychobiological resilience."

It motivates you to succeed

Good stress, also known in the scientific community as eustress, may be just the thing you need to get job done at work. "Think about a deadline: It's staring you in the face, and it's going to stimulate your behavior to really manage the situation effectively, rapidly, and more productively," says Dr. Shelton. The key, he says, is viewing stressful situations as a challenge that you can meet, rather than an overwhelming, unpassable roadblock.

Eustress can also help you enter a state of "flow," a heightened sense of awareness and complete absorption into an activity, according to research from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow can be achieved in the workplace, in sports, or in a creative endeavor (such as playing a musical instrument), and Csikszentmihalyi argues that it's driven largely by pressure to succeed.

It can enhance child development

Moms-to-be often worry that their own anxiety will negatively affect their unborn babies-and it can, when it's unrelenting. But a 2006 Johns Hopkins study found that most children of women who reported mild to moderate stress levels during pregnancy actually showed greater motor and developmental skills by age 2 than those of unstressed mothers. The one exception: the children of women who viewed their pregnancy as more negative than positive had slightly lower attention capacity.

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5 Weird Ways Stress Can Actually Be Good for You

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We hear over and over again that stress is unhealthy. And all that talk makes us, well, stressed. Here's how a little short-term anxiety can actually benefit your brain and body. We hear over and over again that stress is unhealthy. And all that talk makes us, well, stressed.

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"If you think the worst and get the worst, you suffer twice"

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"If you think the worst and get the worst, you suffer twice"

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How to Humor Your Stress | Loretta LaRoche | TEDxNewBedford

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Miniature Horses and Their Stress Reducing Abilities

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Miniature Horses and Their Stress Reducing Abilities

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https://web-p-ebscohost-com.northeastlakeviewcollege.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=33&sid=aa86f28a-e8c9-41b8-9cf1-f382887172a7%40redis

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Reach out and talk.

Watch and listen.

Maintain normal routines.

Take care of yourself.

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html

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Maintain a normal routine

Talk, listen, and encourage expression

Connect with others

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html

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Using Distraction and Humor to Help Cope With Stress 

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Using Distraction and Humor to Help Cope With Stress 

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Most people can agree that humor is a simple and effective way to decrease stress. This article states how humor is one method that can help shift our attention from stressful situations.

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Distraction

Cognitive restructuring teaches people to rethink the basic assumptions that cause them to experience more stress than is absolutely necessary. While an excellent and effective technique for stress reduction, it is also a long-term strategy. Several weeks of practice and training must occur before substantial stress reduction can be expected. Even though it is a good idea to invest the time and effort necessary to learn cognitive restructuring, it is an equally good idea to know about effective alternative strategies that can bring about more rapid, if only temporary, forms of stress relief.

One of the simplest psychological techniques for rapid stress relief involves finding ways to distract yourself from whatever it is that is bothering you. From our previous discussion, you'll recall that as we become more stressed out, our attention tends to narrow and focus on what we perceive as threatening. Distraction techniques work by interrupting this process of attentional narrowing so that we stop thinking about what is bothering us for a while and instead think about something else. As the saying goes, "Out of sight, Out of mind."

Different people cope with stress in different ways, and distraction as a stress coping and management technique works better for some of these people than for others. One of the most basic coping style differences people tend to develop is known as Repression-Sensitization. Some people, known as "repressors," find it very natural to cope with stress and threat by ignoring it, or otherwise distracting themselves from thinking about that threat. Other people, known as "sensitizers" naturally cope with threat by seeking out more information, so as to be able to develop a complete picture of the threat that is useful for predictive purposes. Neither threat-coping strategy is inherently more healthy than the other. Different people just tend to polarize in terms of how they handle stress along these lines.

Distraction tends to be more of a useful coping technique for sensitizers than for repressors. Repressors are already in the habit of coping with threatening information by ignoring it in the hope that it will go away. Giving such people permission to distract themselves further is not a good idea, as it may encourage unhealthy levels of escapism and denial.

People with strong sensitization tendencies will often find themselves uncomfortable using distraction as a stress release. This is because sensitizers can feel threatened by the thought of diverting their attention, as they fear that the threat might get worse if they don't continually monitor it. People experiencing such fears can hopefully relax, however, safe in the knowledge that what is being proposed is not irresponsibility, but rather strategic and measured distraction; enough to take the edge of stress off, but not enough to let anything seriously dangerous slip past one's watchful eye. Most threats people worry about are not imminent or acute in nature, and watching a movie, going for a walk or working on a project so as to take a break from worrying will not typically result in negative consequences.

There are many ways people may distract themselves away from stressful thoughts. Popular distractions include doing chores and work, engaging in hobbies and projects, socializing and seeking out sources of entertainment such as movies, games (including video games) and books. It helps if the activities are interesting, absorbing and immersive, as such things are easier for people to focus on for sustained periods of time. Things that are merely time occupiers may not hold attention, and therefore fail to distract people from their stress and worry for very long.
Humor
For many people, humor is a very effective, simple and inexpensive way to decrease stress. Humor is effective as a stress-relieving method for numerous reasons. First, humor functions as a distraction, interrupting the chain of thought that results in stress. Effective humor also results in laughter, which is a physical release of tension. Humor shifts the focus of attention away from oneself and focuses it instead on others. This shift of attention enlarges people's anxiety-narrowed perspective to include the misfortune of others, thereby reducing the perceived need to stress about their own problems. Humorous stories often help people to recognize that however bad their situation might be, there is always someone who is worse off.

The prototypical poster boy for the use of humor as a stress relieving method was journalist and professor Norman Cousins. According to the Wikipedia entry:, "...late in life Cousins was diagnosed with a form of arthritis then called Marie-Strumpell's disease (now called Ankylosing Spondylitis--although this diagnosis is currently in doubt). His struggle with this illness is detailed in the book and movie Anatomy of an Illness."

"Told that he had little chance of surviving, Cousins developed a recovery program incorporating megadoses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films. "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported. "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."

"Cousins died of heart failure on November 30, 1990 in Los Angeles, California, having survived years longer than his doctors predicted: he lived 10 years after his first heart attack, 16 years after developing his illness, and 26 years after his doctors first diagnosed his heart disease."

It's relatively easy to add humor to your everyday life and to use it as a means of coping with stressful events. Funny movies, comedy shows and videos are easily available through various forms of media outlets. Entire television channels devoted to humor, including Comedy Central and Cartoon Network, are widely available on cable and satellite television services. The Comedy Central website features streaming video of their television shows, as well as a large collection of jokes and stand-up comedy routines. Live stand-up comedy venues are also readily available in many larger cities. Humorous images are all over the web at sites like the popular I Can Has Cheeseburger?, as are newspaper cartoons on sites like Go Comics.

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Distraction and Humor in Stress Reduction

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Distraction Cognitive restructuring teaches people to rethink the basic assumptions that cause them to experience more stress than is absolutely necessary. While an excellent and effective technique for stress reduction, it is also a long-term strategy. Several weeks of practice and training must occur before substantial stress reduction can be expected.

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Expectations put on us at work can also put stress on us. This stress can have significant health consequences. Here are some tips to help cope with stress at work.

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Research has indicated that the percentage of Americans who are stressed at work is high-and it's only getting higher. According to a survey of more than 2,000 full-time U.S. employees, ages 18-79, more than half of employees find themselves stressed during at least 60 percent of the workweek.

Work stress has significant health consequences that range from relatively benign (like getting more colds and flus) to potentially serious (such as heart disease and metabolic syndrome).

While stress at work is common, finding a low-stress job is hard (if not impossible). A more realistic approach is to adopt effective coping strategies to reduce stress at your current job. You can take steps to manage work stress by sticking to a positive morning routine, getting clear on requirements at work, adopting smarter time management techniques, and other strategies outlined in this article.

Create a Pre-Work Ritual

After scrambling to get the kids fed and off to school, dodging traffic and combating road rage, and gulping down coffee in lieu of a healthy breakfast, many people arrive to work already stressed. This makes them more reactive to stress in the workplace.

You might be surprised by how affected by workplace stress you are when you have a stressful morning. When you start off the day with planning, good nutrition, and a positive attitude, you might find that the stress of your job rolls off your back more easily.

Get Clear on Your Expectations for the Day

A factor known to contribute to job burnout is unclear requirements for employees. If you don't know exactly what is expected of you, or if the requirements for your role keep changing with little notice, you might become extremely stressed.

If you find yourself never knowing if what you are doing is enough, it may help to have a talk with your supervisor. You can take the time to go over expectations and discuss strategies for meeting them. This can relieve stress for both of you!

Avoid or Reduce Conflict With Colleagues

Interpersonal conflict takes a toll on your physical and emotional health. Conflict among co-workers can be difficult to escape, so it's a good idea to avoid conflict at work as much as you can.

When possible, try to avoid people who don't work well with others. If conflict finds you anyway, make sure you know how to handle it appropriately.

Plan Ahead to Stay Organized

Even if you're a naturally disorganized person, planning ahead to stay organized can greatly decrease your stress at work. Being organized with your time means less rushing in the morning to avoid being late as well as less hustling to get out at the end of the day.

Keeping yourself organized can also mean avoiding the negative effects of clutter, and being more efficient with your work.

Create a Comfortable Work Environment

Another surprising stressor at work is physical discomfort, often related to where you perform most of your daily tasks (such as your desk).

You might not notice you're stressed if you're sitting in an uncomfortable chair for just a few minutes, but if you practically live in that chair when you're at work, you might have a sore back and be more reactive to stress because of it.

Even small things like office noise can be distracting and cause feelings of low-grade frustration. Do what you can to create a quiet, comfortable, and soothing workspace.

Choose Chunking Over Multitasking

Multitasking was once heralded as a fantastic way to maximize one's time and get more done in a day. However, people eventually began to realize that if they had a phone to their ear and were making calculations at the same time, their speed and accuracy (not to mention sanity) often suffered.

There is a certain "frazzled" feeling that comes from splitting your focus and it doesn't work well for most people. Instead of multitasking to stay on top of your tasks, try another cognitive strategy like chunking.

Walk at Lunch

Many people feel the ill effects of leading a sedentary lifestyle. You can combat the physical and mental effects of work stress by getting some exercise on your lunch break.

If your schedule allows for it, you might try taking short exercise breaks throughout the day. This can help you blow off steam, lift your mood, and get into better shape.

Do Your Best and Reward Yourself

Being a high achiever might make you feel good about yourself and help you excel at work, but being a perfectionist can create problems for you (and those around you).

You might not be able to do everything perfectly, every time-especially in a busy, fast-paced job. A good strategy to avoid the perfectionism trap is always striving to just do your best and making time to congratulate yourself on your efforts. You may find that your results are better and you'll be much less stressed at work.

Listen to Music on the Drive Home

Listening to music offers many benefits and can be an effective way to relieve stress before, during, and after work. Playing an uplifting song while you make breakfast can help you start the day off feeling better prepared to interact with the people in your life. Likewise, combating the stress of a long day with your favorite music on the drive home can help you wind down and feel less stressed when you get there.

Press Play for Advice on Coping With Stress

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

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Stress at work is common, but finding a low-stress job may be impossible. Learn about nine effective strategies you can use to reduce work stress and better cope.

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This study from Harvard Health Center explains findings and the best methods to use to manage stress.

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Best ways to manage stress - Harvard Health

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Stress takes a toll on physical and emotional health. Managing stress is a matter of avoiding stress triggers and practicing techniques to reduce stress. Activities such as meditation, guided image...

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Too much stress can overwhelm us with a sense of being stuck in a stressed-out state of mind. This is due to the imbalanced reaction of our Nervous System. This Article details how stress is built chemically through the Nervous System itself.

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Since a healthy diet is a foundation for a healthy body and mind, we encourage you to choose foods that nourish the body and ground the nervous system. Blood sugar fluctuations place added stress on the body, mind, and mood, which is why we emphasize following a meal plan that supports balanced blood sugar.

Continue Reading →

Everyone gets stressed out from time to time, but did you know your body can get "stuck" in a stressed-out state? It comes down to an imbalance in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

The sympathetic nervous system is essentially the gas pedal of the body. It tells our body that there's a (perceived) threat and we need to act accordingly. Our pulse quickens, our pupils dilate, we take in more oxygen, our adrenal glands start pumping out the "stress hormones" cortisol and adrenaline, as we prepare for a "fight or flight" response.

By contrast, our parasympathetic nervous system is akin to tapping on the breaks. It's our "rest and digest" mode, and it's where we want to be most of the time. Long periods of stress, both physical or emotional, can result in a dominant sympathetic nervous system, whereby the "gas pedal" overrides the "breaks," and adrenal glands become overworked. This may manifest as exhaustion, sleep problems, anxiety, or the feeling of being "tired and wired."

The good news is that certain herbs, along with stress management techniques, adequate rest and a healthy diet, can help rebalance and support a healthy stress response.

Continue Reading →

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Since a healthy diet is a foundation for a healthy body and mind, we encourage you to choose foods that nourish the body and ground the nervous system. Blood sugar fluctuations place added stress on the body, mind, and mood, which is why we emphasize following a meal plan that supports balanced blood sugar.

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Managing long-term stress is beneficial to avoid the risk of developing health conditions like high blood pressure. Stress is difficult to avoid but this article provides ways to manage stress which yields long-term benefits.

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Not all stress is bad. But long-term stress can lead to health problems.

Preventing and managing long-term stress can lower your risk for other conditions like heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression.

You can prevent or reduce stress by:

Planning ahead

Deciding which tasks to do first

Preparing for stressful events

Some stress is hard to avoid. You can find ways to manage stress by:

Noticing when you feel stressed

Taking time to relax

Getting active and eating healthy

Talking to friends and family

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Not all stress is bad. But long-term stress can lead to health problems. Preventing and managing long-term stress can lower your risk for other conditions like heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression. You can prevent or reduce stress by: Planning ahead Deciding which tasks to do first Preparing for stressful events Some stress is hard to avoid.

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https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/causes-of-stress/

Feelings of stress can be triggered by things that happen in our daily life such as being under lots of pressure or facing big changes. Even small amounts of pressure can build up stress.

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Taking Breaks Between a Packed Schedule to Reduce Stress 

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Taking Breaks Between a Packed Schedule to Reduce Stress 

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People often find themselves too busy to change their stressful mindsets. Read this article to see how finding time for yourself between schedules can help reduce stress.

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There are lots of ways to deal with stress and the methods that work for you may be different from what works for someone else.
https://www.bupa.com/newsroom/news/answering-common-questions-about-stress

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Everyone reacts to stress differently – it can depend on your personality and how you respond to pressure.

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Bupa - an international healthcare company

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Stress is how you feel and respond when the pressure you're under exceeds your ability to cope. A certain amount of stress can be positive as it can help you prepare for actions and challenges, but too much can cause both mental and physical problems.

To help raise awareness this Stress Awareness Month, Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director for Mental Health at Bupa UK Insurance, answers some of the most common questions about stress.
What are the warning signs of stress?
Everyone reacts to stress differently - it can depend on your personality and how you respond to pressure. Stress, especially over a long period of time, can cause both mental and physical problems. Some common effects to look out for include mood swings, feeling irritable or short tempered, being more emotional, and feeling depressed or anxious. You might also notice behavioural changes, including eating more or less than usual, sleeping too much or too little, becoming more aggressive, smoking and drinking alcohol more than usual, and being unable to concentrate.
What are the main causes of stress?
There are many situations that can cause stress, and sometimes there may not be an obvious cause. Some of the common triggers for stress include work or education demands, financial matters, personal life events or changes; such as illness or injury, bereavement, and organising a large or complicated event, and friends and family situations; such as a relationship break-up or divorce or being a carer.
What does stress do to your body?
Stress can affect you physically and cause problems such as having no energy, trouble sleeping, stomach ache, chest pains or tightness in your chest, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation, feeling sick, muscle tension, hyperventilating, and sexual problems.
How can you reduce or avoid stress?
There are lots of ways of dealing with stress and the one or ones that work for you may be different to what works for someone else. There are many things you can try to help deal with and manage your stress. These include exercise, meditation, eating a healthy balanced diet, avoiding unhealthy habits such as drinking too much alcohol or smoking, finding time to meet friends, making time for yourself, and knowing your limits and accepting the things you can't change.
Is stress linked to anxiety and panic attacks?
Most people experience feelings of anxiety and panic at some time as a response to a stressful situation. Anxiety is a feeling of unease, which could be due to being worried, tense or afraid about certain things that are about to happen or a situation. Panic attacks can happen as a result of severe anxiety and can come on very quickly. Some symptoms include a racing heart, feeling faint, sweating, nausea, chest pain and a shortness of breath.

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Stress is how you feel and respond when the pressure you're under exceeds your ability to cope. A certain amount of stress can be positive as it can help you prepare for actions and challenges, but too much can cause both mental and physical problems. To help raise awareness this Stress Awareness Month, Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director for Mental Health at Bupa UK Insurance, answers some of the most common questions about stress.

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It is natural for children to worry when scary or stressful events happen in their lives. Talking to your children about these events can help put frightening information into a more balanced setting.
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html

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Here are some breathing exercises that can reduce stress. Take time to experiment with these techniques and find the style that best suits you.

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If you're dealing with high levels of stress or anxiety, there are several types of breathing techniques that may help you feel calmer and more relaxed. It's easy to get started. All you need is a quiet space where you can pay attention to your breathing.

Breathing exercises don't have to take a lot of time out of your day. It's just about setting aside time to pay attention to your breathing. Here are a few ideas to get started:

Begin with just 5 minutes a day, and increase your time as the exercise becomes easier and more comfortable.

If 5 minutes feels too long, start with just 2 minutes.

Practice multiple times a day. Schedule set times or practice conscious breathing as you feel the need.

Read on to learn how to do 10 different breathing exercises. You may find that certain respiratory exercises appeal to you right away.

This simple breathing technique makes you slow down your breathing pace by having you deliberate effort in each breath.

You can practice pursed lip breathing at any time. It may be especially useful during activities such as bending, lifting, or stair climbing.

Practice using this breath 4 to 5 times a day when you begin so that you can correctly learn the breathing pattern.

To do it:

1. Relax your neck and shoulders.

2. Keeping your mouth closed, inhale slowly through your nose for 2 counts.

3. Pucker or purse your lips as though you were going to whistle.

4. Exhale slowly by blowing air through your pursed lips for a count of 4.

Diaphragmatic breathing (aka belly breathing) can help you use your diaphragm properly.

A 2020 meta-analysis shows this type of breathing is particularly helpful in people with breathing challenges due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart problems, or cancer.

It may also help reduce stress and help with challenges related to eating disorders, constipation, high blood pressure, migraine episodes, and other health conditions.

Practice diaphragmatic breathing for 5 to 10 minutes 3 to 4 times daily.

When you begin, you may feel tired, but over time the technique should become easier and should feel more natural.

1. Lie on your back with your knees slightly bent and your head on a pillow.

2. You may place a pillow under your knees for support.

3. Place one hand on your upper chest and one hand below your rib cage, allowing you to feel the movement of your diaphragm.

4. Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling your stomach pressing into your hand.

5. Keep your other hand as still as possible.

6. Exhale using pursed lips as you tighten your abdominal muscles, keeping your upper hand completely still.

You can place a book on your abdomen to make the exercise more difficult. Once you learn how to do belly breathing lying down, you can increase the difficulty by trying it while sitting in a chair. You can then practice the technique while performing your daily activities.

This deep breathing technique uses imagery or focus words and phrases.

You can choose a focus word that makes you smile, feel relaxed, or is simply neutral. Examples include peace, let go, or relax, but it can be any word that suits you to focus on and repeat through your practice.

As you build up your breath focus practice, you can start with a 10-minute session. Gradually increase the duration until your sessions are at least 20 minutes.

To do it:

1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable place.

2. Bring your awareness to your breaths without trying to change how you're breathing.

3. Alternate between normal and deep breaths a few times. Notice any differences between normal breathing and deep breathing. Notice how your abdomen expands with deep inhalations.

4. Note how shallow breathing feels compared to deep breathing.

5. Practice your deep breathing for a few minutes.

6. Place one hand below your belly button, keeping your belly relaxed, and notice how it rises with each inhale and falls with each exhale.

7. Let out a loud sigh with each exhale.

8. Begin the practice of breath focus by combining this deep breathing with imagery and a focus word or phrase that will support relaxation.

9. You can imagine that the air you inhale brings waves of peace and calm throughout your body. Mentally say, "Inhaling peace and calm."

10. Imagine that the air you exhale washes away tension and anxiety. You can say to yourself, "Exhaling tension and anxiety."

Lion's breath is an energizing yoga breathing practice that is said to relieve tension in your chest and face.

It's also known in yoga as Lion's Pose or Simhasana in Sanskrit.

To do this:

1. Come into a comfortable seated position. You can sit back on your heels or cross your legs.

2. Press your palms against your knees with your fingers spread wide.

3. Inhale deeply through your nose and open your eyes wide.

4. At the same time, open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue, bringing the tip down toward your chin.

5. Contract the muscles at the front of your throat as you exhale out through your mouth by making a long "haaa" sound.

6. You can turn your gaze to look at the space between your eyebrows or the tip of your nose.

7. Do this breath 2 to 3 times.

Alternate nostril breathing, known as Nadi Shodhana Pranayama in Sanskrit, is a breathing practice for relaxation.

Alternate nostril breathing has been shown to enhance cardiovascular function and lower heart rate.

Nadi Shodhana is best practiced on an empty stomach. Avoid the practice if you're feeling sick or congested. Keep your breath smooth and even throughout the practice.

To do this:

1. Choose a comfortable seated position.

2. Lift your right hand toward your nose, pressing your first and middle fingers down toward your palm and leaving your other fingers extended.

3. After an exhale, use your right thumb to gently close your right nostril.

4. Inhale through your left nostril and then close your left nostril with your right pinky and ring fingers.

5. Release your thumb and exhale out through your right nostril.

6. Inhale through your right nostril and then close this nostril.

7. Release your fingers to open your left nostril and exhale through this side.

8. This is one cycle.

9. Continue this breathing pattern for up to 5 minutes.

10. Finish your session with an exhale on the left side.

Equal breathing is known as Sama Vritti in Sanskrit. This breathing technique focuses on making your inhales and exhales the same length. Making your breath smooth and steady can help bring about balance and equanimity.

Research on older adults with high blood pressure showed that this technique may help improve mental well-being and increase the oxygen supply to the brain and lungs.

You should find a breath length that is not too easy and not too difficult. You also don't want it to be too fast in order to maintain it throughout the practice. Usually, this is between 3 and 5 counts.

Once you get used to equal breathing while seated, you can do it during your yoga practice or other daily activities.

To do it:

1. Choose a comfortable seated position.

2. Breathe in and out through your nose.

3. Count during each inhale and exhale to make sure they are even in duration. Alternatively, choose a word or short phrase to repeat during each inhale and exhale.

4. You can add a slight pause for breath retention after each inhale and exhale if you feel comfortable. (Normal breathing involves a natural pause.)

5. Continue practicing this breath for at least 5 minutes.

Resonant breathing, also known as coherent breathing, is when you breathe at a rate of 5 full breaths per minute. You can achieve this rate by inhaling and exhaling for a count of 5.

Breathing at this rate maximizes your heart rate variability (HRV), reduces stress, and, according to one 2017 study, can reduce symptoms of depression when combined with Iyengar yoga.

To do this:

1. Inhale for a count of 5.

2. Exhale for a count of 5.

3. Continue this breathing pattern for at least a few minutes.

This yoga breathing practice helps you lower your body temperature and relax your mind.

Slightly extend your breath in length but don't force it. Since you inhale through your mouth during Sitali breath, you may want to choose a place to practice that's free of any allergens that affect you and air pollution.

To do this:

1. Choose a comfortable seated position.

2. Stick out your tongue and curl your tongue to bring the outer edges together.

3. If your tongue doesn't do this, you can purse your lips.

4. Inhale through your mouth.

5. Exhale out through your nose.

6. Continue breathing like this for up to 5 minutes.

Deep breathing helps to relieve shortness of breath by preventing air from getting trapped in your lungs and helping you to breathe in fresher air. It may help you to feel more relaxed and centered.

To do this:

1. While standing or sitting, draw your elbows back slightly to allow your chest to expand.

2. Take a deep inhalation through your nose.

3. Retain your breath for a count of 5.

4. Slowly release your breath by exhaling through your nose.

This yoga breathing practice's unique sensation helps create instant calm and is especially soothing around your forehead.

Some people use humming bee breath to relieve frustration, anxiety, and anger. Research shows it may help reduce your heart rate, think more clearly, and feel less irritable or stressed.

Of course, you'll want to practice it in a place where you're free to make a humming sound.

To do this:

1. Choose a comfortable seated position.

2. Close your eyes and relax your face.

3. Place your first fingers on the tragus cartilage that partially covers your ear canal.

4. Inhale and gently press your fingers into the cartilage as you exhale.

5. Keeping your mouth closed, make a loud humming sound.

6. Continue for as long as is comfortable.

You can try most of these breath exercises right away. Take the time to experiment with different types of breathing techniques. Dedicate a certain amount of time at least a few times per week. You can do these exercises throughout the day.

Check in with your doctor if you have any medical concerns or take medications. If you want to learn more about breathing practices, you can consult a respiratory therapist or a yoga teacher who specializes in breathing practices. Discontinue the practice if you experience any feelings of discomfort or agitation.

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10 Breathing Exercises to Try: For Stress, Training, and Lung Capacity

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If you're looking to practice breathing exercises, here are 10. These are common techniques for lowering stress, meditating, and improving breathing function.

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11 Signs and Symptoms of Being Too Stressed

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11 Signs and Symptoms of Being Too Stressed

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To better manage stress, we must first know what stress looks like. This article lists and describes the physical and mental symptoms of stress.

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11 Signs and Symptoms of Too Much Stress

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Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain caused by adverse circumstances. This article looks at 11 common signs and symptoms of too much stress.

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Talk to and stay connected to others.

Take care of yourself.

Take information breaks.

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html

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Disbelief

Feelings of fear, shock, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration

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Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as physical distancing, can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety.

After a traumatic event, people may have strong and lingering reactions. Learning healthy ways to cope and getting the right care and support can help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms.

The symptoms may be physical or emotional. Common reactions to a stressful event can include:

Disbelief

Feelings of fear, shock, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration

Changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests

Difficulty sleeping or nightmares, concentrating, and making decisions

Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes

Worsening of chronic health problems

Worsening of mental health conditions

Increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances

It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during traumatic events such as mass shootings, natural disasters, or pandemics. Below are ways that you can help yourself, others, and your community manage stress.

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

Feeling emotional and nervous or having trouble sleeping and eating can all be normal reactions to stress. Here are some healthy ways you can deal with stress:

Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It's good to be informed but hearing about the traumatic event constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting news to just a couple of times a day and disconnecting from phone, tv, and computer screens for a while.

Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself a break if you feel stressed out.

Take care of your body.

Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.

Talk to others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Share your problems and how you are feeling and coping with a parent, friend, counselor, doctor, or pastor.

Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations.

Avoid drugs and alcohol. These may seem to help, but they can create additional problems and increase the stress you are already feeling.

Recognize when you need more help. If problems continue or you are thinking about suicide, talk to a psychologist, social worker, or professional counselor.

Check out Taking Care of Your Emotional Health for more information and resources.

Helping Others Cope

Taking care of yourself can better equip you to take care of others. Helping others cope with stress through phone calls or video chats can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely or isolated.

Helping Children and Youth Cope with Stress

Children and youth often struggle with how to cope with stress. Youth can be particularly overwhelmed when their stress is connected to a traumatic event-like a natural disaster, family loss, school shootings, or community violence. Parents, caregivers, and educators can take steps to provide stability and support that help young people feel better.

Tips

Tips for Parents and Caregivers
It is natural for children to worry when scary or stressful events happen in their lives. Talking to your children about these events can help put frightening information into a more balanced setting. Monitor what children see and hear about stressful events happening in their lives. Here are some suggestions to help children cope:

Maintain a normal routine. Helping children wake up, go to sleep, and eat meals at regular times provide them a sense of stability.

Talk, listen, and encourage expression. Listen to your child's thoughts and feelings and share some of yours. After a traumatic event, it is important for children to feel they can share their feelings and that you understand their fears and worries.

Watch and listen. Be alert for any change in behavior. Any changes in behavior may be signs that your child is having trouble and may need support.

Stressful events can challenge a child's sense of safety and security. Reassure your child about his or her safety and well-being. Discuss ways that you, the school, and the community are taking steps to keep them safe.

Connect with others. Talk to other parents and your child's teachers about ways to help your child cope. It is often helpful for parents, schools, and health professionals to work together for the well-being of all children in stressful times.

Tips for Kids and Teens
After a traumatic event, it is normal to feel anxious about your safety and security. Even if you were not directly involved, you may worry about whether this type of event may someday affect you. Check out the tips below for some ideas to help deal with these fears.

Talk to and stay connected to others. Talking with someone you trust can help you make sense out of your experience. If you are not sure where to turn, call your local crisis intervention center or a national hotline.

Take care of yourself. Try to get plenty of sleep, eat right, exercise, and keep a normal routine.

Take information breaks. Pictures and stories about a disaster can increase worry and other stressful feelings. Taking breaks from the news, Internet, and conversations about the disaster can help calm you down.

Tips for School Personnel
School personnel can help their students restore their sense of safety by talking with the children about their fears. Other tips for school personnel include:

Reach out and talk. Create opportunities to have students talk, but do not force them. You can be a model by sharing some of your own thoughts as well as correct misinformation.

Watch and listen. Be alert for any change in behavior. Are students withdrawing from friends? Acting out? These changes may be early signs that a student is struggling and needs extra support from the school and family.

Maintain normal routines. A regular classroom and school schedule can provide a sense of stability and safety. Encourage students to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities but do not push them if they seem overwhelmed.

Take care of yourself. You are better able to support your students if you are healthy, coping and taking care of yourself first. Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself a break if you feel stressed out.

Mental Health and Crisis

Resources and Social Support Services

If you are struggling to cope, there are many ways to get help. Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

During times of extreme stress, people may have thoughts of suicide. Suicide is preventable and help is available. More about the risk of suicide, signs to watch for, and how to respond if you notice these signs in yourself or a friend or a loved one, can be found here.

Free and confidential crisis resources can also help you or a loved one connect with a skilled, trained counselor in your area.

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Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as physical distancing, can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. After a traumatic event, people may have strong and lingering reactions.

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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change

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Types of Change and How to React to Them 

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Types of Change and How to React to Them 

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For better or worse: The impact of change on our lives

Unpredictable change can be difficult to adapt to. This article provides information as to how to deal with sudden change.

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Viewing Change as an Opportunity Rather Than a Fear 

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Viewing Change as an Opportunity Rather Than a Fear 

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Change: an Opportunity rather than a Fear | Stella Bida | TEDxULB

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The Connection Between the Health Locus of Control and Stress 

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The Connection Between the Health Locus of Control and Stress 

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Change of any kind can create stress. Positive change can create as much stress as negative change. However, sometimes stress can help us complete tasks more efficiently.

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Understanding how stress from positive change adds to our stress load improves our self-care and helps us stay on the path to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recovery. While the word "stress" applies to life-altering situations like traumatic or stressful events as often as it pertains to a long to-do list, it is not typically associated with times when things are good. However, positive change and stress do exist together and it helps people with PTSD to recognize them when they occur.

Positive Change Creates Stress

Positive change creates stress--change of any kind can create stress. As demonstrated by this Online Stress Test, many situations typically viewed as positive changes directly increase the amount of stress a person is experiencing overall. A new job, a new car, or moving to a safer neighborhood are all significant changes for most people; and while generally considered beneficial, they bring challenges, unknowns, and adjustments that can create stressful feelings.

For individuals with PTSD, recognizing the impact of even the most positive of changes helps manage stress-related symptoms and challenges.

How to Recognize Stress Related to Positive Change

In this video, I discuss the importance of recognizing how positive events can add to our overall feelings of stress and how acknowledging them as stressors can help us to reduce the amount of worry they create. Once we understand where the pressure is coming from, we can make changes, ask for help, or choose to delay other significant changes until we've worked our way through some of the current ones.

Please feel free to comment on your experiences with stressors. Have positive changes ever created stressful situations for you? How did you handle them? I look forward to your responses.
Source:
Stress Effects. (2017, January 04). Retrieved December 27, 2017, from https://www.stress.org/stress-effects/

Author: Tia Hollowood

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Stress from Positive Change Requires Self-Care for PTSD Too

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Understanding how stress from positive change adds to our stress load improves our self-care and helps us stay on the path to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recovery. While the word "stress" applies to life-altering situations like traumatic or stressful events as often as it pertains to a long to-do list, it is not typically associated with times when things are good.

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Change is an unavoidable problem in our work lives. Sometimes it is within our control and we can handle it but sometimes it is not. This article provides us with 6 things we can do to “deal with change”.

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Change is an unavoidable constant in our work lives. Sometimes it's within our control, but most often it's not. Our jobs or roles change - and not always for the better. Our organizations undergo reorgs and revamp their strategies, and we need to adjust.

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How to Get Better at Dealing with Change

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How to Deal with Anxiety from Change | Andy Crisis Wisdom

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Our thoughts come and go, our emotions come and go, situations also come and go. Everything in the world is always changing. To deal with it, we should see the changes happening, take time to get used to them and adapt to them.

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How to Deal with Anxiety from Change | Andy Crisis Wisdom

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Stress Associated with Change | LoveToKnow

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Throughout the course of your life, you will deal with change in positive and negative forms. Change of any kind can trigger a physiological stress response.

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Stress from change is a natural part of life. Unfortunately, without appropriate stress management, it can affect our physical, mental, and emotional health. Therefore, understanding how change leads to stress, as well as how to manage that stress is an important part of leading a healthier, happier life.

How Change Leads to Stress

Throughout the course of your life, you will deal with change in many forms. Some changes are very minor and easy to get past. Other changes may be more significant, leading to elevated stress levels. Life changes can be both positive and negative.

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In the late 1960s, two psychiatrists, Richard Rahe and Thomas Holmes, set out to determine how stressful life changes affected health via the stress response. They did this by examining more than 5,000 patient records to see if they could correlate stressful life events with illness. The result was the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, also known as the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory. It measures the amount of change in one's life that may affect stress levels, assigning a weighted numerical value to each stressful event based on its statistical effects on human health. Rahe performed follow-up research that backed up earlier findings.

The inventory lists both positive and negative changes that can cause stress.

Positive Changes

Positive change can be exciting, but it can also trigger a physiological stress response. Holmes and Rahe list multiple positive changes that may cause physiological stress responses including:

Marriage

Marital reconciliation

Pregnancy

Changing jobs

Outstanding personal achievement

Revision of personal habits

Christmas

Changing health habits

Buying a house

Gain a new family member

Retirement

Negative Changes

Change generally perceived as negative can be particularly stressful. Some negative changes that cause physiological effects of stress include:

Physiological Effects of Stress from Change

Stress can lead to numerous physiological changes. When you experience stress, your body releases many chemicals and hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, which prepare you for fight or flight. This type of response is a natural part of human physiology, and occurs in order to allow you to react to a perceived physical threat, according to the Mayo Clinic. This causes a number of changes including elevated heart rate and respiration, suppression of the digestive system, increased blood flow, and immunosuppression.

Fight or Flight

All of your physiological resources are diverted from normal functions to prepare you for fight or flight. Ideally, once the perceived threat disappears, then the hormones and chemicals will leave your system and your body function will revert to normal.

Unfortunately, the body can't differentiate between stress from an immediate physical threat and stress due to life changes. Life change stressors activate the physiological response in the same way. Because stress from these changes typically lasts much longer than a fight or flight situation, your body continues to respond for the long-term with stress chemicals and responses. The American Psychological Association notes that because of these changes, chronic stress can contribute to a number of health problems such as:

Signs of Poor Stress Adaptation

People react to change differently. Some people adapt quickly to stress, while others may not adapt as well and therefore experience the physiological changes of stress for longer periods. Brown University lists multiple signs that may indicate you're not adapting well to life's stressful changes, including:

According to WebMD, your body may also give you physiological signs you are under too much stress, including:

Mitigating the Effects of Stress

Fortunately, you can mitigate the potential effects of stress associated with change with smart stress management strategies.

Upcoming Changes

If you are aware of an upcoming change, such as a marriage or move, you can help to alleviate stress about the event in multiple ways.

Create an action plan: The World of Psychology recommends preparing instead of worrying. By setting manageable goals and creating a series of steps to get from one goal to another, you will feel more in control of the situation, which should help minimize your stress. This preparation should also help you reduce uncertainty, which will minimize worrying about the unknown associated with upcoming change.

Build a strong support network: According to the Mayo Clinic, social support is essential in alleviating stress. Seek mutually supportive relationships among multiple social groups, such as friends, family, work, volunteer activities, church, and hobbies. Having people you can lean on during your upcoming changes should help ease the way.

Take care of your physical health: The CDC notes that caring for your physical needs by eating healthy foods, exercising, finding time to relax, and getting plenty of sleep can help you cope with stress. This is especially important if you know big changes are on the horizon.

Eat healthy: According to WebMD, eating healthy can help boost your brain's serotonin levels, which will combat higher cortisol associated with stress.

One change at a time: If you've got a big change coming up, it's important that you create consistency in the rest of your life as much as possible. That's why it's best that you minimize other changes in your life as you prepare for a big change. For example, if you're going to be changing jobs soon it may be best not to attempt to change personal habits at the same time.

Sudden Changes

Sometimes, change occurs without warning. If you're currently in the middle of stress associated with change, there are a number of steps you can take to help your body and psyche cope and adapt.

Lean on your social network: Social support can greatly help increase resilience to stress, so spend time friends, family, and loved ones.

Use relaxation techniques: The American Psychological Association recommends relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing as a tool for coping with stress. Likewise, try to take time to relax every day, even if you just put your feet up for a few minutes.

Engage in hobbies: The American Heart Association recommends taking time to engage in activities you love, even if for just a few minutes.

Minimize caffeine intake: According to Duke University, caffeine can increase the effects of stress, so it's best to minimize caffeine during stressful times.

Laugh: The Mayo Clinic notes that laughter can help decrease the effects of stress, so pop a comedy in the DVD player or spend time with people who make you laugh.

Care for your health: Eat right and get as much sleep as you can so you don't put additional stress on your body.

Avoid drugs and alcohol: The CDC notes that turning to drugs and alcohol can add to stress instead of reducing it, so it's best to stay sober when you're under stress.

Focus on the problems you can solve, not those you can't: The American Association of Family Doctors suggests working to resolve any issues you can and avoiding worry about things you can't control.

Seek professional support: According to the National Library of Medicine, if stress management techniques do not work for you, then seek care from a qualified professional such as counselor, therapist, or social worker.

You're in Control

Throughout your life, you're likely to experience both change and stress many times. By recognizing that you have control over how you react to change and how you allow it to impact you, you can learn to effectively deal with the associated stress.

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Stress Associated with Change | LoveToKnow

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Stress from change is a natural part of life. Unfortunately, without appropriate stress management, it can affect our physical, mental, and emotional health. Therefore, understanding how change leads to stress, as well as how to manage that stress is an important part of leading a healthier, happier life.

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Listen now only on Spotify: Calm your mind with gentle piano and ambient.