The Three Types of Stress and Proven Ways to Treat Them
We've all felt it - the unrelenting burden of stress weighing us down, threatening our mental health and daily life. Whether that stress is caused by a busy holiday schedule, work, family, friends, or finances, it can be easy to succumb to it and let it take over.
Although the overwhelming feeling may seem hopeless, there are ways in which you can relieve your stress without spending hundreds of dollars on a therapist. However, it's important to remember that seeking a therapist may be the best solution if you're struggling with your mental health daily.
There's nothing wrong with seeing a therapist, but when you need a quick relaxation session to wind down from a tough day, try out some of the best ways to calm your nerves and relieve your stress.
What Exactly is Stress?
You know what it feels like, but do you actually know what stress is? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stress is "a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges in threats in our lives." It can affect the mind and the body, and if you've ever had a panic attack, you know how scary and serious it truly can be.
There are three main types of stress - acute, episodic, and chronic - and just like physical pain, it can affect our body and mind for different periods of time.
What is Acute Stress?
Despite its name, acute stress is anything but an adorable way to stay you're overwhelmed. Acute stresses are typically short-term and, the symptoms often develop quickly but don't last long. Although any type of stress can be annoying, acute stress can help keep us alert, focused, and can be responsible for our "fight or flight" reaction.
Some emotional symptoms you may feel in response to acute stress is anger, irritability, anxiety, and depression. Stress can affect our mind, but can also cause our body to react. Some ways you may physically experience acute stress is through headaches, heartburn, back pain, diarrhea, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness, clamminess, and more.
Examples of acute stress that you've likely experienced yourself include: loud noises, crowds, traffic, deadlines for work or school, losing your keys, etc. While none of these situations are really that life-threatening, people can experience stress in different ways and can be dangerous for some.
What is Episodic Stress?
All the little things throughout your day, like traffic jams, losing your phone, etc, may seem innocuous at the time, but if these stressors occur too often, it can cause episodic stress.
Episodic stress is a type of acute stress, however, people who experience it often respond to normal, everyday stressors with intense or suicidal feelings. This can be because they're taking on too much and feeling too much acute stress to be able to handle it. Like acute stress, episodic stress can affect your emotional and physical state.
Emotionally, you may experience anger, depression, memory loss, problems concentrating, poor judgment, or anxious thoughts. Physically, you may experience aches and pains, nausea, elevated heart beat, dizziness, and lower libido.
Many type "A" personalities can experience episodic stress as these people often put a lot of pressure on themselves to constantly perform well. Episodic stress is also sometimes associated with PTSD as symptoms can occur within the first month of experiencing a traumatic event, such as a car accident, death of a family member, or being a victim of a crime.
What is Chronic Stress?
While any type of stress can take a toll on the person feeling it, chronic stress can lead to serious health problems. Just like chronic pain, chronic stress occurs when a person feels persistent stress over a long period of time. This type of stress can lead to cancer, strokes, heart attacks, violent behavior, and suicide.
Aside from the adverse health issues, chronic stress is dangerous people those who experience it may believe it to be normal. Such as someone with lower back pain - it can be annoying and inconvenient, but it's something you live with.
Some factors that can cause chronic stress to develop are: a demanding career, a struggling home life, the pandemic, ongoing global issues, etc.
Chronic stress can be the most difficult to treat, but definitely not impossible. If you feel you're living with chronic stress, visit your doctor today.
Best Ways to Treat Stress
According to The American Institute of Stress, 55% of Americans reported being stressed during the day. With at least half of the U.S. population admitting to being stressed, know that you're not alone. While seeing a medical profession may be the best option for some, others may just need some ways to wind down and relieve their stress.
Check out some of the best ways to relax and live stress-free.
Cuddle Up With a Weighted Blanket
Cozying up with any blanket at the end of a tough day can be relaxing, but studies suggest that weighted blankets in particular can be effective at helping reduce anxiety, sleep disorders, and ADHD. This is because weighted blankets provide gentle pressure to the body, which can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system - the system responsible for lowering your heart rate when stressed.
A weighted blanket helps provide pressure therapy to the person snuggled up in it and gives them the feeling of being hugged, held, or swaddled.
Use Aromatherapy With an Oil Diffuser
Aside from making your home smell better, an oil diffuser might be just want you need to calm your stress and anxiety. While aromatherapy can be beneficial, opt for a lavender essential oil as this scent can be associated with stress relief. Research shows that aromatherapy can help relieve anxiety and boost your mood quickly.
If you want some stress relief on the go, carry around some lavender essential oil to smell, rub lavender-scented lotion on your skin, or invest in a essential oil stick to keep on you everywhere you go.
Download a Meditation App
When you think of meditation, you may think of sitting still silently in a room for an hour. While this may sound peaceful to some, it may sound miserable to others. You don't have to dedicate that much time to your meditation routine as meditation apps like Headspace can help you calm down with short videos, sleep sounds, bedtime exercises, and more.
Studies suggest that practicing consistent meditation and mindfulness can help reduce chronic stress.
Start an Exercise Routine
As you've already learned, stress can affect not just your mental but your physical health as well. That means taking care of your physical health can be an important factor in maintaining positive mental health. If you don't already have an exercise routine, it's never too late to take one up. Fitness is not one-sized fits all, so you want to find a routine that fits your interest and schedule - whether it be yoga, HIIT, running, lifting, etc.
Exercise has been proven many times in helping improve physical health inside and out, but studies suggest it can also play a role in helping relieve acute and chronic stress.
Change Up Your Diet
When you're stressed, it can be easy to adopt a not-so-healthy diet due to lack of motivation to cook, forgetting to eat, finding comfort in greasy or sweet foods, etc. However, this poor diet can be contributing to your stressful lifestyle.
Research suggests that chronic stress can cause elevated levels of cortisol, which can result in craving foods high in sugar, fat, and calories. Unfortunately, these delicious but unhealthy foods do not provide enough nutrients to help keep your body functioning properly. Not to mention, these types of foods can lead to weight gain, elevated blood pressure, and more, which can be stressful.
Adopting a healthier diet full of nutrient-rich foods can help regulate cortisol levels as well as increase your energy and mood.
Start Treating Your Stress Today
Whether you suffer from acute, episodic, or chronic stress, you don't have to live with it.
While these five ways to help treat stress can be effective, it's imperative to visit your doctor if you're experiencing violent or suicidal thoughts. Even if you believe your stress levels may not be as serious, a trip to the doctor is never a bad thing.
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