Everyone goes through some type of stress every day. Stress results from common experiences such as being stuck in traffic, hearing a dog barking or a baby crying, not having enough money to pay bills, arguments at home, disagreements with colleagues, or worrying about the future. Stress affects everyone emotionally, physically, mentally, socially and even spiritually. Stress is the reaction of the entire person to internal and external demands (stressors).
Stress can be defined as any demand or change that the human system (mind, body, spirit) is required to meet and respond to. Stress is a part of normal life and without challenges and physical demands, life could become boring. Stress becomes distress (or traumatic stress) when it lasts too long, occurs too often, or is too severe.
Stress can have negative consequences if it is perceived to be undesirable, occurs in the context of other stressors, and is hard to predict/control. Furthermore, too much stress for too long can result in: physical tension and illness, emotional discomfort and value confusion, relational strains, lower cognitive (e.g. thinking, reasoning, remembering) and work performance, and risky health behaviours, including excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse and addictions. The stress response (e.g. via stressors that are perceived as threatening) activates the autonomic nervous system, increasing the amount of adrenaline in the blood and the flow of blood to muscles. The resulting state of heightened anxiety, influences the characteristic response that everyone has experienced at one time or another: fight (confront), flight (withdraw), freeze (don’t move) or fawn (try to please).
However, stress is not always negative since like any challenge in life, it can motivate individuals to learn, develop new strengths and skills, persevere, take action, and perform better. Responding well to life’s challenges and stressors, with support from friends and colleagues, reflects and produces resilience.
Stress can look different in everyone, and it is helpful to identify what circumstances in life can contribute to stress. How each individual responds to stress depends on his/her background, values, experiences and current level of perceived support.
It is important to note that positive events can also create stress, for example pregnancy or birth, getting a new job or even retirement. Some of the common life events that can cause stress are; death of a spouse marital separation, major injury or illness or losing your job.
How to manage feeling overwhelmed
Check in with your feelings
When we’re used to feeling stressed, we may not notice the pressure that we’re under. That’s why it’s important to take the time to check in with ourselves – are we worrying more than usual, struggling to sleep or avoiding certain tasks? The earlier that we become aware of how we’re feeling, the sooner that we can manage our stressors before they overwhelm us.
Talk to someone
Talking about our feelings can help us to feel less alone. There’s a good feeling that comes from getting something out in the open and being listened to. It also gives us the opportunity to let out our emotions and process our thoughts, so that we can come up with solutions.
Set boundaries
Do you struggle to say no to things, even when you don’t have the time or energy? When we constantly put the needs or feelings of others ahead of our own, this can cause overwhelm. This is why boundaries are important; setting boundaries helps us to prioritise our own needs, and by communicating these boundaries to others, we set clear expectations of ourselves so that they don’t ask too much of us. Read more about boundaries.
Invest in self-care
Making time to look after ourselves both physically and mentally is essential when it comes to managing our stress levels. Filling our daily routine with things like balanced meals, exercise, spending time outdoors and getting plenty of sleep can make a big difference to how we feel. Activities that allow us to pause and unwind can also benefit our mental health, for example, meditation, journalling or breathing exercises.
IC therapies can offer a range of approaches that are evidence-based treatments to help you manage your stress. Please get in touch with us via our website here.
