Stress – everybody has it. Even the ones who think they are not stressed, have stress. Maybe they manage stress better than you. Maybe they define stress differently. Maybe they are in denial.
One study on stress done by Everyday Health found 57 percent of respondents felt paralyzed by stress. Others reported feeling energized by stress. Causes of stress stemmed mostly from finances and career demands.
The Stress in America survey revealed 75% of Americans reported high levels of stress in the past month. In addition, 1 in 75 people deal with panic attacks and the levels of stress have increased over the past few years. Even more stressed out Americans are reporting mental health disorders that could be related to stress.
The survey also noted stress in adolescents, teens and young adults is on the rise. This makes learning how to recognize and manage stress triggers even more important. Before you do this, you must first understand what stress is and why it is dangerous.
Stress makes you uncomfortable emotionally, followed by changes in your behavior and physiology. Stress happens when you perceive something as threatening and you feel like you don’t have the power or resources to fight off the threat.
Your perception of a threat triggers the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol into your system. Too much of any hormone can increase your heart rate, give you warm flushes, and gets your muscles prepped for action.
Not all stress is bad. It can help you get out of dangerous situations, like an internal warning signal. But other stress can be damaging to your body.
There are two types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is temporary and will disappear in a short time.
Chronic stress, however, lasts for long periods or shows up on a recurring basis. Both can be harmful if you don’t know how to recognize and manage your stress triggers.
A trigger refers to a sight, smell, touch, taste or something you hear that reminds you of a scary or traumatic event in your life. For example, a combat veteran may return home feeling fine. He or she attends a fourth of July picnic and when the fireworks are set off, they sound like gunshots.
The veteran is reminded of that time and starts to feel like they did when they were in war.
This trigger is related to post-traumatic stress disorder. Other triggers can be simpler in nature. You may see a former co-worker that reminds you of the stressful job you had. You may smell apple pie and that reminds you of baking with your grandmother who has since passed away, triggering your feelings of grief.
Examples of possible triggers include major life changes, natural disasters, unpredictable events like a car wreck or accident, abuse in a relationship, meeting new people, or workplace demands. Knowing how to recognize these triggers will lead to being able to manage stress.
Learning more about yourself is the best way to recognize your stress triggers. Below are a few tips on getting to know yourself better.
The sooner you recognize your stress triggers, the sooner you can start managing stress properly.
Prevention is always the best way to fight stress. Change your lifestyle and environment so you are better able to cope. If you are in a stressful job, think about changing jobs. If you are in a bad relationship, seek help from a counselor to determine if you should stay. Declutter your home, forgiveness, staying organized and having fun are other stress busters. Below are some of the most notable methods of combating stress.
Just because everybody has stress, it doesn’t mean everybody has to suffer from the impact of stress. You can start taking steps today to learn to recognize and manage your stress triggers.
