What does being stressed mean to you? Are you stressed out by work, family, finances, state of the world, health, friendships?
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. Finding and adopting 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 shock, numbness, or feeling sad, frustrated, and helpless. These feelings can also lead to difficulty concentrating and making decisions and may ultimately lead to increased use of smoking, alcohol, or drugs. Stopping the spiral of stress is critical in keeping our mental and physical health on the right track.
Long-term stress can affect more than just your mind. From headaches to stomach disorders to depression – even very serious issues like stroke and heart disease can come as a result of stress.
Counselors recommend recognizing when you cannot control a situation and letting it go. Avoid getting anxious about situations that you cannot change. Developing a vision for healthy living, wellness, and personal growth, and setting realistic goals to help you realize your vision is often recommended.
These sound like simple thoughts but difficult actions to implement. That’s why our funded partner agencies all offer mental health and stress-related therapy. They can help you walk through stressful situations and give tools to address the negative feelings when they disrupt your daily life.
Read some tips for coping with stress from our expert counselors:
Take control of your reactions and focus your mind on something that makes you feel calm and in control.
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, or trusted person in your circle.
Avoid drugs and alcohol. These can create additional problems and increase the stress you are already feeling.
One of the most effective ways to deal with stress is to learn how to silence the mind. Meditation is one of the most popular methods of achieving this quiet. (View some of MHRB's mindfulness sessions.)
Whether you need help stopping the source or the spiral of stress, we are here to help. Reach out to us today.
CRISIS HOTLINE: 330.264.9029
WAYNE COUNTY: 330.264.2527
HOLMES COUNTY: 330.674.5772
Mental Health & Recovery Board of Wayne & Holmes Counties
We aim to improve awareness of and access to mental health and addiction treatment and prevention services in Wayne & Holmes Counties. We provide leadership, support, and funding to community partners and agencies in the delivery of mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Our agencies provide addiction treatment programs, mental health counseling, suicide prevention programming, and more! Experience you can trust.