Stress is a universal experience that people from all walks of life encounter. Although stress is common and often unavoidable, it frequently gets dismissed and doesn’t receive the proper attention. In reality, stress not only affects your emotional health, but it can disrupt your overall health and wellbeing too.

Stress occurs when the body endures changes or challenges. You may experience a variety of effects when processing stress. These can be seen as physical, emotional, or behavioral responses. When you endure chronic stress, your fight or flight response is unable to shut off. This occurs because your body is unable to return to its equilibrium, which comes with several risks, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Muscle tension and pain
• Heart problems
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Problems with memory and focus

Over the past few years, stress levels have risen across all demographics. Many people are juggling demanding work schedules, financial pressures, and caregiving responsibilities. Children and adolescents may face academic pressures, social challenges, and pressure from social media that can become overwhelming. Older adults and senior citizens may have stress based on health challenges, isolation, or loss. Given all of these challenges and pressures, our community is carrying more emotional weight than ever.

Recognizing signs of early stress is a crucial part in protecting your long-term health. Ignoring fatigue, irritability, headache or other subtle symptoms can cause larger problems if left untreated. Catching symptoms early mitigates the probability of stress spiraling into much more serious mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression and burnout. This is also important because stress can put a strain on your relationships and your ability to perform at your full potential.

Raising awareness about stress means encouraging open conversations about mental health and emotional well-being. Many people feel alone in their struggles. Having open conversations about stress reduces the stigma, and supports people to speak up and receive the proper care they need without fear. Creating awareness can also help empower people to be proactive and have the resources they need to manage them before they escalate.

There are practical steps that everyone can take to reduce stress. The first step you should take is identifying what triggers your stress. Once you have picked up on your triggers, you should strategize how to deal with them. This may look different for everyone. Some people may benefit from doing some physical tasks such as yoga, walking, or some other type of exercise. Other people may take more comfort in being mindful and doing things such as listening to music, watching their favorite show, or even getting a massage. Stress management is not a one size fits all. Figuring out what works best for you is critical to your journey in managing stress.

If you experience persistent or overwhelming stress, it’s important to know that you have many resources available to you. Talking to a trusted family member or friend is a great place to start. If you feel as though you need further support, contacting your primary care doctor can help. Discussing your stress with your doctor can provide you with tools such as therapy, medication, or a combination of the two that will help mitigate your stress levels.

Southwest Health offers mental health support for people of all ages with individualized and professional emotional and mental health care. You can make an appointment or get more information by calling (608) 348-3656.

Stress awareness should be a community effort. Everyone has dealt with stress at one time or another, so it’s time we started to recognize its impact. Having open conversations about stress can significantly improve the stigma around mental health. Creating a safe and compassionate environment where individuals feel comfortable seeking help is key to working towards a stress-free community.