your reflect stress test results
Based on your responses, your stress levels appear moderate and somewhat controlled. You still probably face some stress that periodically impacts your life or relationships with others. This is all too common, particularly given our crazy busy lifestyle.
The stress you feel may be brought on by a variety of factors in our daily lives such as work, dating challenges, relationships with others, money worries, etc. And periods of particularly severe stress can occur when those areas worsen — a really busy patch at work, relationship troubles, or a new baby.
Being fairly successful in life, many of us learned to deal with these challenges by pushing through. Weather the storm in hopes of calmer waters. That’s actually bad. The negative effects of stress on our bodies over time have been widely studied. And it just takes one severe episode to take the wind out of our sails.
Trying to push through stress ultimately catches up with us. And when it does, it’s not pretty. Now is the time to make changes, so that you can better manage the flare-ups that do occur.
Our team has compiled a list of strategies that can help you manage the moderate stress in your life and triage when you have more stressful periods. Remember, stress is natural and can help motivate us and push us to do good things. It’s about recognizing stress when it occurs and managing it effectively.
Please keep in mind, these are not meant to be clinical recommendations but are rather general guidelines based extensive research in the field.
A lot of wellness articles talk about exercising, but it’s often the first to go when we are busy. On the contrary, in addition to the obvious health benefits, exercise is one of the best ways to control daily stress in our lives and help us manage any flare ups that occur.
When faced with stress, our adrenals release cortisol to prepare the body for a ‘fight or flight’ response by flooding it with glucose, supplying an immediate energy source to large muscles. The problem is given our ever-stressed, fast-paced lifestyle, our bodies are pumping out cortisol almost constantly, which can wreak havoc on our health, causing everything from weight gain and shorter life expectancy. Physical activity helps burn cortisol, reversing the negative impact of stress.
Exercise also produces endorphins, chemicals in our brains that act as natural painkillers to reduce stress and improve our ability to sleep, which in turns makes us feel happier. Regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevates and stabilizes mood, and improves self-esteem.
Sometimes we may be tempted to skip the gym because our day was too busy — that’s the exact opposite of what we should be doing since exercise is a great way to turn that day around. For those with moderate stress, working out can be particularly effective ways of releasing the bad stress instead of bottling it up, which can lead to more severe issues down the line.
Our busy lives can cause millions of thoughts to swirl in our heads — questions about the past, worries about the future. Those can add unnecessary stress, prompting our bodies to switch on ‘fight or flight’ response as if there was an immediate threat.
Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist concept involving being conscious and aware of the present. It’s grown more popular recently as people have searched for ways to become more grounded and happy. In addition to relieving stress, it’s been shown to treat anxiety, depression, couple’s conflict, and more.
One helpful mindfulness technique involves meditation, or the practice of quieting the mind through breathing. Find a few minutes to sit quietly and focus on your breadth. Close your eyes and alternate between deep breaths in and deep breaths out. Try to calm any thoughts that may come into your mind by refocusing on the breath. If you need additional help here are a few great mindfulness apps that can help you develop good habits.
Devoting even just 5 minutes each morning to this practice can be hugely beneficial. And when you find your stress levels flaring up during the day, take a few minutes to find a quiet place to hit the pause button (like a conference room or quiet spot in the house between kid’s naps). It can do wonders to clear thoughts, reduce stress, and re-energize you.
Humans are innately social creatures. Social support actually has a biological effect by changing the balance of our hormones. Adequate amounts of social support are associated with increases in levels of a hormone called oxytocin, which functions to decrease anxiety levels and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system calming down responses.
As such, connecting with other people can play a huge part in reducing stress. Having a positive social interaction someone else, face-to-face has been found to reduce stress, even when the stressful situation itself cannot be altered.
The problem is stress can cause us to pull away from the very people that can help. One in four people report that they have been alienated from a friend or family member because of stress, with 8 percent connecting stress to divorce or separation. When you’re stressed, it’s actually more important to make an effort to connect with others.
Even during busy periods, try to find time to connect with friends or family and share how you’re feeling. Or talk to a trusted coworker if something stressful is happening at work. Their shared empathy can do wonders in helping change your outlook.
ometimes friends aren’t always readily available or we want an unbiased opinion to help you take action. It’s still important to have social support, particularly if your stress levels are moderate or increasing. That’s one of the main reasons we started reflect. We provide a safe sounding board to help you manage with stress, identify insights, and create a plan to navigate changes.
If you’re interested in learning more, click below to get matched to the right therapist for you and try for free.
