April Is Stress Awareness Month

As your primary care provider, your health is our number one priority. Family Medicine and Primary Care at The Campbell County Medical Group believe in preventive medicine to keep you healthy. One major way we can reduce health risks is to lower our stress, and there is no better time to remind our patients (and our team) of this than Stress Awareness Month.

Stress Awareness Month has been recognized every April since 1992, and every year we have different reasons to be stressed as individuals, as a community, as a nation, and as a world. Learning to cope with our stress and finding healthy ways to deal with these situations can go a long way in living a healthy and positive life.

What does stress mean to you?

We all experience stress – yet we may experience it in very different ways. Because of this, there is no single definition for stress, but the most common explanation is a physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension.

Stress is a reaction to a situation where a person feels anxious or threatened. Learning healthy ways to cope and getting the proper care and support can help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms.

Common reactions to a stressful event can include:

• Disbelief, shock, and numbness

• Feeling sad, frustrated and helpless

• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

• Headaches, back pains and stomach problems

• Smoking or the use of alcohol or drugs

Affecting more than just your mind!

Long-term stress can prove to be more than just a mental issue. From headaches to stomach disorders to depression – even very serious issues like stroke and heart disease can come as a result of stress.

When you are placed in a stressful situation, specific stress hormones rush into your bloodstream leading to an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels. This is helpful in emergency situations, but having this “rush” for extended periods of time can be dangerous and make you susceptible to the issues mentioned previously.

Sometimes the stress in our lives is not something we have the power to change. Try to:

• Recognize when you don’t have control, and let it go.

• Avoid getting anxious about situations that you cannot change.

• Take control of your reactions and focus your mind on something that makes you feel calm and in control.

• Develop a vision for healthy living, wellness, and personal growth, and set realistic goals to help you realize your vision.

Here are some basic ideas to help you cope with stress:

• Take care of yourself – eat healthy, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, give yourself a break if you feel stressed.

• Share your problems and how you are feeling and coping with a family member, friend, doctor, pastor or counselor.

• Avoid drugs and alcohol. These can create additional problems and increase the stress you are already feeling.

• Recognize when you need more help – know when to talk to a psychologist, social worker or counselor if things continue.

Potentially the most valuable takeaway here is knowing how to talk to others about your stress. This goes both ways, as you need to know how to discuss your problems with others as well as talk to anyone that comes to you with their issues.

Your Primary Care & Family Medicine Providers know that reducing stress is easier said than done. Please bring up your concerns about stress at your next appointment, or schedule with us by calling 307-688-3636

Article Source:

https://www.stress.org/april-is-stress-awareness-month