Stress is a normal response to changes or challenges called “stressors”, a short-term experience that typically ends when a situation or stimuli passes. Our minds and bodies are designed to protect us from a perceived threat, releasing stress hormones to help us engage our fight, flight, or freeze response. This reaction is meant to protect you from potential danger, resulting in a chain reaction triggered though your body. Your heart rate increases, sending blood and oxygen to your muscles, ramping up adrenaline and cortisol, producing feelings of restless energy and increased mental alertness.
Some examples of internal stressors include distressing thoughts or memories, physical pain or discomfort, or emotions like sadness or anger. External stressors include any concerning event, situation, or circumstance that has the potential to negatively impact a person or something they care about.
What is good stress and what is bad?
There are many different types of stress, and stress is not all bad. There are subtle, yet important differences between eustress, stress, and distress.
What is eustress?
Eustress describes a type of stress that is positive, helpful, and motivating. This “threat” is seen as more of a challenge or something to be overcome. It isn’t negative or bad. It is the kind of stress that motivates people to work hard, improve their performance, and reach their goals. It is present when starting a new job, preparing for the birth of a child, or trying a new experience. It can be good for our mental well-being by helping build resilience and driving persistence. It can also assist our physical well-being, as it helps us physically power through obstacles that make us stronger, like intense workouts and building endurance.
What is stress?
There are two main forms of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is typically a one-time or short-term stress. Acute stress causes sudden release of stress hormones, resulting in feelings of anxiety, shortness of breath, headaches, and stomach aches. As the stressor passes or is removed, our body returns to a healthy typical state. Some examples of acute stress are when our alarm doesn’t go off in the morning or before a big exam.
Chronic stress is prolonged exposure to stress, such as a situation that is not resolved for weeks or months. Extended production of stress hormones can result in physical complications, such as high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, weight loss/gain, and chronic pain. Chronic stress can also contribute to mental health issues, such as constant anxiety which can lead to panic attacks and depression. Some examples of chronic stress are managing a long divorce or living with financial problems.
What is distress?
Distress is the result of other forms of stress exceeding your ability to manage it. When you experience a high-volume of acute stress factors, chronic stress from situations that cannot be changed for long periods of time, or routine behaviors that result in repeatedly negative emotional stress, you are likely to become distressed. Internal factors can also cause distress, fears and phobias, obsessive thought patterns, and perfectionism causes stress that isn’t generated from external factors but rather is a result of our own thinking. Distress is likely to cause you to feel overwhelmed and anxious, leading to physical and psychological symptoms like headaches, insomnia, inability to concentrate, decision fatigue, or irritability and incivility.
Coping with Stress
Learning how to manage your stress takes practice, because if left unmanaged, stress can harm us mentally and physically. It can be tempting to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms to manage the effects of stress, such as social withdrawal or substance use. Learning to manage stress is important. Here are some ways to cope and avoid distress.
Practicing awareness and self-care
Recognizing that your body is responding to stress can be helpful. Take notice of situations that trigger physical reactions like increased heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea. As you learn your triggers, you can use methods of self-care to manage your well-being. Some popular forms of self-care are yoga, meditation, and positive self-talk, which can help restore a sense of calm for short periods of time.
Find methods of relaxation
Grounding techniques can be a helpful tool in stressful situations to bring our minds and bodies to the present moment. There are many relaxation techniques you can try including visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises which can help slow the heart rate and decrease the production of stress hormones in your body.
Goal setting
Setting goals can help alleviate stress, assist in managing a stressful event, and help keep us from developing habitually stressful behaviors. Goals can be a motivator that helps take something from acute stress to eustress and provide manageable steps toward a larger goal.
Seek professional assistance
When stress feels unmanageable, it may lead to panic attacks, depression, or physical ailments; this is a good time to seek the advice of a medical professional to intervene. Discussing your stressors and developing coping techniques can be a necessary and helpful tool in learning how to manage chronic stress and avoid staying in a state of distress for long periods of time.
Many people experience various levels of stress and distress. You are not alone if you are struggling to manage your stress. If you are experiencing increasing levels of stress or distress and find that it interferes with your day-to-day activities, speaking with a mental health professional might be a good idea. Professionals can help you develop skills to work through the causes of your distress.
CPA Assist provides confidential counselling services and 24/7 crisis support to Alberta and Saskatchewan CPAs, candidates, and their immediate families. To book an appointment through CPA Assist, call 1-855-596-4222 or email cpaforbes@telus.net.
