How To Manage Stress & Build Resilience

When the body senses a threat (or stressor), it goes on high alert, and once the threat passes, the body quickly recovers. At least that's the way it's supposed to work. Stressors can include health matters, work, money, family issues, racism or gender inequality, and regular daily hassles. With unrelenting or too many stressors, your body might be on a constant state of high alert, leading to poor concentration, bad moods, professional burnout, and mental and physical health problems. When stress becomes chronic, the body cannot return to normal functioning. Chronic stress can be linked with health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and anxiety.

Stress affects men and women differently. Many conditions associated with stress - such as post-traumatic-stress disorder, depression and anxiety - are more common in women that men.

Beyond sex and gender differences, there are individual differences, too. Some people are more resilient than others. Stress affects them less or more temporarily, and they might event perform better under stress. "There's a saying, 'It's not how far you fall; it's how high you bounce.' For those of us who don't bounce back so easily, there's good news. Resilience, to some extent, can be learned and there are some simple, practical things that people can do that may make a noticeable difference," says Dr. Janine Austin Clayton, Director of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health. Clayton explains that some resilient people might also develop a greater appreciation for their lives, family, friends or other matters after stress.

Stress Management and resilience building are particularly important to the health of women. Following are several steps to help both men and women cope with stress.

1: Recognize and counter signs of stress. Your body sends signals that it's stressed, including difficulty concentrating, headaches, cold hands, tight muscles, a nervous stomach, clenched teeth, feeling on edge, fidgety, irritable or withdrawn. Knowing how your body communicates can help you deal with stressful moments. Learn to not only recognize, but also to name these feelings, either to oneself or to a friend. Then, take action to counter their effects. For example, deep breathing, stretching, going for a walk, writing down your thoughts and taking quiet time to focus can help induce relaxation and reduce tension. 

2: Take time for yourself. Make taking care of yourself a daily routine. It's not selfish or self-indulgent - and it might require saying "no" to requests or prioritizing yourself along with your responsibilities. Start with small changes in your routine to help build resilience to stressful circumstances. Work in time to exercise, eat healthy foods, participate in relaxing activities and sleep. In fact, including a regimen of exercise, which for some may include yoga or meditation, can be very important when feeling stressed. Also, take time to notice the "good minutes" in each day or to do something that you enjoy, such as reading a book or listening to music, which can be a way to shift your attention and focus on the positive rather than the negative.

3: Try new routines. From scheduling bath and bedtimes to blocking off time to plan and prioritize tasks, additional structure can provide a daily framework that allows you to attune to your body's signals.Then, you can take steps to potentially manage stress earlier than you once did.

4: Stay connected and make new friends. Stay in touch with family, friends and groups in your life - technology makes this easier than ever. Having or being a person to talk with can be reassuring and calming. using video features can enhance the connection in telecommunication or online communications for some people.

5: See problems through a different lens. Experts call changing the way we think about and respond to stress "reframing." View sitting in traffic or around the house as an opportunity to enjoy music, podcasts or pleasant views. Reduce anger in response to rude or aggressive behavior by imagining what might be happening in that person's life. Keeping situations in perspective is an important way to boost stress resilience. Other steps include positive thinking and creating plans before you begin to resolve problems. You can practice reframing and get better at it over time.

6: Seek help with problems. Many people experience the same day-to-day stains related to caregiving, relationships, health, work and money. Look to friends and family, as appropriate, or other trusted individuals or resources for tips and information.

7: Talk to a health professional if stress is affecting your well-being, you feel you cannot manage the stress you're experiencing, or stress has caused you to engage in or increase substance use. Seek appropriate care if stress is harming your relationships or ability to work. There are any number of stress-related online help resources to find when in a time of need or just for the opportunity to talk about your concerns.

Recognizing individual signals of a body's stress responses and leaning to respond to those signals in new ways can help build the emotional, intellectual and physical strength that comprise resilience, which can help tackle future stressors.

Research is ongoing to understand how stress affects health - and why some are resilient to stress while others have difficulties, as well as how different therapies and resilience-boosting techniques work and have a positive effect on health and well-being.

Credits: brandpointcontent.com