Every year since 1992, the United States has celebrated National Stress Awareness Month during the month of April. At Ross, we know that no matter which of our healthcare training programs they are in, our students work hard and often have to juggle a variety of responsibilities in addition to their schooling. Also, as a healthcare professional, the opportunity to experience stress is always right there. However, if you take the right steps towards living a balanced, low-stress lifestyle, we believe that each of our students and each of the healthcare professionals out in the field, many of them our instructors and graduates, can overcome the harmful effects of stress and use its benefits to their advantage!
Stress is a normal part of everyone’s life and cannot ever be completely avoided. Fortunately, our minds and bodies are equipped to handle certain amounts of stress and even to use it to our benefit! Throughout this article, we will outline some of the harmful and beneficial aspects of stress as well as some things you can do to combat and control excessive stress in your life!
Possible harmful effects of excessive, unmanaged stress:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- High blood pressure
- Heart conditions
- Depression and anxiety
- Trouble sleeping
- Increased recovery time after an injury
- Irritability
- Acne
Many people also turn to unhealthy things to attempt to deal with stress including food, cigarettes, medications, or illegal drugs. Unfortunately, none of these actually do anything to decrease symptoms. Instead, many of them develop into addictions that just increase anxiety and stress levels. They also have other negative physical and emotional side effects that further decrease overall health. Additionally, any physical or emotional ailment that already existed is just made worse with unmanaged stress.
Take a deep breath, stress can be managed
If you found your stress level increasing just reading that list of symptoms and health problems and thinking of your own, you don’t have to stay there! During some seasons of life, there are more stressors than during others, but no matter where you are in your life, there are a few simple things that you can do to manage and master your stress:
- Build relationships
- Exercise
- Plan better, eat better, rest better
- Take a quick nap. Just 20 minutes or so may make a world of difference!
- Go for a short run or walk, outside if possible.
- Take a few minutes and straighten up your room or workspace.
- Drink some tea and take a break from your to do list.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
- Enjoy a warm bath.
- Stretch!
Although some of the negative symptoms of stress may make you feel like seclusion is the best option, we are hard-wired for connection with other people. Of all of the ways to deal with stress, engaging with people with whom you are in relationship is one of the most powerful. In fact, people with more supportive, close relationships are far more able to deal with life’s stressors than those with less.
Although in a time of stress exercise may not seem like what your body wants, it may be exactly what you need. The chemicals released in your brain in response to stress trigger the fight or flight response. Unfortunately, in today’s world, most stressful situations cannot be appropriately reacted to by fighting or fleeing, so those action-oriented chemicals just sit dormant in your body and can cause harm if not responded to. As you exercise, you are releasing those toxins as well as causing your body to produce and release other healthy chemicals that decrease anxiety and increase positivity and overall health.
This applies to a variety of areas of life. Just having a plan and sticking to it will improve your overall outlook and sense of control. As you plan out meals and begin eating better, more healthy foods and plan times to relax and rest, you will find that you quickly begin to feel better and more able to handle the stress in your life. However, in the beginning it may be difficult to motivate yourself to plan when you already feel overwhelmed by all you have to do – stick it out!
Need a quick stress reliever?
Maybe you know you need to make some lifestyle changes, but today you need a little extra help? Not a problem! Here is a list of a few quick fixes to relieve stress fast!
Stress isn’t all bad
You read that right. Although constant stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body, stress itself isn’t the enemy. In fact, stress can be used to your advantage. It is just a natural part of life and, when not something that is constantly plaguing you, can be harnessed and used to cause you to actually be more successful and effective. The issue actually lies in believing that you are victim of stress that is harmful instead of believing that you are in charge of your own stress. Health Psychologist Kelly McGonigal shares about the benefits of stress when under control in this TED Talk. For April’s National Stress Awareness Month, let’s change our minds about stress and take back control of our lives and health.
Are you interested in learning more about Ross Medical Education Center’s healthcare training programs? We offer training that may help in your pursuit of a variety of career paths including Medical Assistant, Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration, Dental Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, and Veterinary Assistant. Visit each of our healthcare program pages today to learn more!