What is Stress
Stress is internal and external pressures that create feelings of conflict, worry or fear.
What Causes Stress
Some external stressors are major work change, relationship difficulties, financial problems, death or illness in the family and being too busy.
Each person usually experiences stress reactions in response to emotions, thoughts and or physical sensations.
How Does Stress Affect the Body
Stress can cause headaches and dizziness, grinding of your teeth, increased heart rate, digestive disorders, weight gain, and muscle tension. Stress can affect your entire body and cause sleep problems.
Stress can make you feel threatened, overwhelmed, and frustrated and upset your balance.
How Can I Overcome Stress
About two thirds of Americans say they might be stressed but that is not the problem. It is how they relate to stress.
Look at the situation or the event and appraise it. Ask yourself if you can cope with the changes. Ask yourself, Am I stressed?
Be aware of your internal voice of negative self-talk, rigid thinking, not being flexible and perfectionism.
A supportive therapist can provide hope during the stressful times in your life. A therapist can help a person to look more deeply into the tactics for coping with stress, learn coping statements and change self-defeating thoughts to positive self-talk.
In a stress awareness and management individual session, the client can learn how stress manifests in their body, verbalize current life stressors, look at internal and external stress and learn how to cope with stress by learning deep breathing, relaxation and grounding exercises.
Call Elizabeth Buckley for a counseling session. Call 210-495-2797
By Elizabeth Buckley MS, LPC, RN
