6 Coping Strategies for Modern-Day Stressors
Originally written for Alive magazine: https://www.alive.com/lifestyle/a-sigh-of-relief/
One in four working Canadians describe most of their days as “quite a bit” or “extremely stressful.” And if this survey had been conducted in 2020, that statistic might have been a tad higher! While the body’s stress response actually improves mental and physical performance in the short term, chronic stress can cause trouble in our relationships and contribute to the development of chronic diseases. Stress-related diseases
Despite the fight-or-flight response enhancing performance during an acute stressor, we don’t have a physiologic mechanism that’s as effective for dealing with episodic and chronic stressors. In fact, prolonged activity of the HPA axis during ongoing stress has negative impacts on body function and is associated with depression, anxiety, and panic attack. Stressing the difference Acute stress is immediate and quickly resolved, such as getting into a fender bender, giving a work presentation, and sustaining a minor injury.
Body language Knowing the signs and symptoms of stress is your secret weapon for getting a head start on addressing the problem. Research has shown that stress affects the brain, immune system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, and endocrine systems, causing myriad emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioural symptoms.