What is stress? There’s no exact definition, but there are many ways to describe it, and I believe it can have a huge effect on your life as well as others. Personally, my favorite way to describe stress would be that it brings out the “wounder in me.” That being said, when you think about stress, what comes to mind may not make sense. In order to get relief from stress, it is important to understand when, how, why, and where it will happen in the first place, so you can figure out how to best handle stress. If you have never faced stress before, there are some tips to help you navigate this new level of difficulty, while still staying calm and organized.

Know The Symptoms

There are two main symptoms of severe stress: depression and anxiety. Depression is a common consequence of chronic stress, though it is often the result of something more obvious like depression. Most people aren’t able to pinpoint the cause of their mental health issues, making them unsure of the root cause of their emotional struggles. This makes it particularly difficult to get relief from stress, and having an accurate assessment of who is actually suffering from stress and where exactly are they at risk is key to getting the necessary care. Without having a full understanding of the symptoms, people won’t know that stress is a real thing.

What Is Anxiety?

Though both mental health conditions seem similar, anxiety is a different kind of feeling. Often times, people aren’t sure whether or not they are experiencing something else because of the anxiety. People often assume that just because they are anxious that they must be depressed or having a panic attack. Not only do we tend to put this label on something entirely wrong, but we often give our emotions a name of themselves which is usually something negative like fear or sadness. Often times, these labels fall somewhere between those two, such as anxiousness, anxiety, worry, and depression. Though symptoms of anxiety tend to overlap with those of depression, they differ even more because they are much more difficult to recognize. Because of this reason, it's important for people to make an informed decision on where they are at risk. For example, some people might feel overwhelmed and overachieve in certain areas because of the fear of failure. Others might go through tough times due to the worry of rejection. Luckily, you can identify most people’s symptoms when it comes to stress and try to deal with them on your own terms. As long as you are in control of yourself, you can manage what you need to. As well as the physical aspects of stress like physical pain, anxiety, insomnia, etc., there are also social causes connected to stress. These include financial difficulty, family conflict, personal injuries, relationship issues, and workplace frustrations. All of these issues stem from an overall lack of support from family, friends, and/or other sources, but they are more obvious with chronic stress and require careful attention. Knowing when you are at risk is another key factor to knowing what strategies to use to best tackle the issue.

Know When It Happens

When you think back to previous situations and the memories that resulted, what would come rushing into the picture? Do you remember anything bad about that situation? Did you ever have a hard time controlling your emotions or holding back? Were you afraid of the outcome? Did you feel helpless and didn't know what to do? Remember, this was your brain at work, trying to process all of this information that was completely foreign to you. At the same time, if you were able to keep your composure, they might leave you unharmed. While these thoughts pop up, take a moment to really think about them, especially if the memories or feelings are not positive ones. Was the circumstance stressful or frustrating? Are there any past instances of trauma that made you react badly to your surroundings? Have you been burned down by someone else's actions? Does this experience lead to you taking revenge or doing things to hurt others? By remembering these questions, you are better equipped to understand your reaction to specific situations and how you cope with stress.

What Would You Do?

If you are looking for relief from stress, it's likely that you have already been through a lot of things that involve stress. Your body has responded to it and taken the proper steps to adapt and overcome difficult situations. Once you realize what type of stress is going on in your life, decide to do everything you can to relieve it. There are several options to choose from. One option is therapy. Therapy can help with the emotions associated with stress and can help you understand that stress is a part of everyday life. Another choice to see would be talk therapy. Talk therapy can help with the behaviors related to chronic stress. Some techniques can even help with emotional triggers like mood swings or increased anger.

Talk Therapy

The very concept of talking is itself something that needs to be worked on in order to get relief from stress. A lot of people avoid talking to someone because they are afraid of what an open conversation could bring. However, talking goes deeper than that, and when you are ready to start talk therapy, I encourage you to go beyond the initial introduction and talk about anything that seems relevant to you and your personal growth. Talking can help you with your problems, but it may be the best way to get relief from stress when it feels like it.

Medication is the Last Step

If dealing with stress is not enough, dealing with it on your own can be the next step in the equation. Medications can help with relieving stress and provide more control of your life. There are multiple medications that can give you relief from anxiety and can even have side effects like stomach upset. Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with stress without medication, but these are just a few examples. Finding these resources in their entirety can help you achieve greater relief from stress without taking something that isn’t necessary.