As a therapist, I get lots of questions about stress. “What is stress?”, “How do I know if I have too much stress in my life?”, “Is stress bad for my physical health?”, “Is stress actually making my physical health issue worse?”, “Is too much stress messing up my sex life?”, and of course “How do I get rid of my stress?” That last question is usually followed by some sort of exacerbated noise (example- a stressed-out, high-pitched scream in combination with some pulling out of hair or a long and defeated *sigh* accompanied with a head hung low).
If you are looking for answers about stress and ways to manage the stress in your life, read on, friend! In this blog, we will cover what stress is, good vs. bad stress (yes, some stress is good!), problems that stress can cause in your life, and how to manage and reduce stress if you have too much of it in your life.
What is Stress?
Good Stress vs. Bad Stress
Mental/Emotional Problems
Physical Problems
What's Next?
What is Stress?
Stress is part of everyone’s life. Stress can be described as the mental or emotional strain and discomfort of a demanding situation. Sometimes stress can be quick, like the stress of completing a task or keeping us safe (task complete, or we are successfully kept safe equals stress is gone); however, stress can also stick around if the problem is more long-term (like stress caused by finances). Sometimes, stress stays with us even after the stressful situation is over. This can sometimes happen when something hurtful, scary, or confusing happens to us, and we do not or were unable to fully process through that situation (read more on that here). This is typically where the problems happen for us- when stress sticks around for too long. While it is true that stress is often described as a mental or emotional state, our mind and our body are very much connected. When your mind is having an issue (like stress), our body can feel the effects, too. Although stress is a normal part of everyone’s life, stress can lead to all sorts of problems, mentally and physically, if left to get out of control.
Good Stress vs. Bad Stress
First, let’s talk about the two types of stress. For ease of description, let’s just call them “good stress” and “bad stress”. I’m sure that everyone is aware of and has experienced the bad stress, so we won’t elaborate on that one for too long. This is the type of stress that makes people irritable and do things that are typically out of character, like maybe to lash out at their kids, other family members, and friends. Bad stress can cause us to be forgetful or be unfocused at work or within the task at hand. Bad stress can also cause us to have physical problems, like a headache, neckaches/backaches, and worse.
Many people that I’ve come across aren’t as aware of the good type of stress, so let’s talk about that in a bit more detail. There are lots of times when people actually benefit from stress. I imagine that you are laughing hysterically right now or rolling your eyes, but do read on. The good type of stress can provide us with motivation. If you think about a time when you had a deadline to meet- the project at work had to be finished by Friday or you had to have the house looking presentable by 6pm tonight in time for your guests to arrive- having those deadlines, which bring us stress, helped you to meet your goals.
Another benefit of the good type of stress is safety. If you are walking in the woods, and you see a snake in your path, your body will feel stress related to seeing the snake, release various chemicals and hormones that change how you think and function, and will be forced to make a decision for your safety. The woods/snake example also leads into another benefit of good stress, which is decision making. It can be quite a stressful state when you know that you have to make a big decision upcoming. Thinking about what may or may not happen as a result of our decision in that specific situation, how other people may be affected, and if this one decision/situation could possibly affect the future can be quite stress-inducing, indeed! Because of stress making us realize that this situation is one that we must think through and not impulsively decide, we are forced to evaluate the situation in depth in order to make the right choice for our desired outcome: all as a result of stress. A bit surprising, eh?
If you find yourself deciding impulsively or not thinking through big decisions when you are stressed, then your stress may have crossed from the “good” stress to the “bad” stress. Read on to find out what other problems are caused from holding on to too much stress or stress for too long…
Does your "bad stress" outweigh your "good stress"? #stressmanagement #RidgelandMS
Problems Caused By Too Much Stress
Having high amounts of stress for a long period of time can lead to all sorts of problems, both mentally and physically. Read through the below lists to see if you might be experiencing the negative effects of too much stress.
Mental/Emotional Problems That Can Be Caused/Exacerbated From Too Much Stress:
· Inability to focus or stay on task
· Difficulties in decision making or making poor decisions
· Problems with motivation or following through/completing tasks
· Memory issues
· Fatigue
· Irritability
· Anger/anger outbursts
· Lack of empathy or compassion
· Self-doubt
· Anxiety/worry/panic
· Sadness or “mood swings”
· Feeling overwhelmed
Physical Problems That Can Be Caused/Exacerbated From Too Much Stress:
· High blood pressure
· Chest pains and Heart Disease
· Skin problems (ex. eczema)
· Muscle and joint tightness/pain
· Reproductive issues (ex. Erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, and miscarriage)
· Digestive issues (ex. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ulcers, stomach aches)
· Immune system disturbances (ex. Getting colds or sinus issues more often)
· Dental issues
As if the mental/emotional issues and the physical problems weren’t enough, many people also experience behavioral issues as a result of long-term, unchecked stress. Some people begin or increase their use of drugs/alcohol as a result of stress. Others isolate themselves from family and friends, begin to miss work, or even show personality changes (like losing their upbeat, funny demeanor only to have it replaced with a dreary, sarcastic aura). Sleep and appetite are similarly affected in that people find themselves sleeping or eating too much or not enough.
Having too much stress in your life can be a terrible place to be mentally, emotionally, and physically. If you are experiencing new or worsening physical issues listed above or any of the mental/emotional problems as a result of the stress in your life, they can easily start to compound on one another, making you feel even more burdened. If this is you, I know that you are ready for a change- to get back to your old self again. Let’s cue a thought bubble and just imagine what your life would look like if you had lower levels of or were better able to manage your stress. Can you imagine not having a fight every time you are around your family, but instead could have loving and meaningful interactions? What about being able to fully enjoy your surroundings and the people you are with instead of worrying about deadlines, projects, and hassles? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to not be consumed with the endless to-do lists that are robbing you of the moment you are trying to live?
What's Next?
In Part II of this blog, we are going to discuss several ways that you can begin to reduce and manage your stress, so you can get back to enjoying your life. If you can’t wait and are ready to start some stress relieving techniques ASAP though, head on over to the https://www.centralmstherapysolutions.com Contact page and email us to get the free 10 Ways to Manage Stress PDF (we will have a mailing list set up in the future where you can stay up to date on new blog posts). This PDF won’t cover everything we will be discussing in the next part of this blog post, but it will be a good place for you to start until then. And don’t worry, we won’t fill your inbox with Spam- we’ll only occasionally send you alerts about new blog posts, some inspirational materials, or helpful tips. If you feel that your stress levels have gone beyond the help that you can get from reading a blog post, but that you are definitely identifying with what you’ve read today, feel free to call me at the Jackson, MS office of Central Mississippi Therapy Solutions’ - (769) 300-5259 or head over to our Contact page– to set up an appointment where we can get to the bottom of what is causing your stress. We will work together to reduce and manage the stress so that you can enjoy your life again. Until next time.
If you have a topic or a question that you would like for Bahar Dunn, our Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Central Mississippi Therapy Solutions, LLC in Jackson, MS to answer, please email centralmstherapysolutions@gmail.com. Please do not include any identifying information (unless you are comfortable in doing so), as email communication is not always a confidential medium of communication.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is for general information purposes only. Nothing in this post or on this website should be taken as therapeutic guidance or advice for any situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, a therapist-client relationship.
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