Stress and Anxiety
What is Stress? What is Anxiety?
We hear these words thrown around a lot but tend to have many definitions for it depending on the source or audience. Is it stress? Is it tremors, shaking, sweating, and other physical symptoms? Maybe it’s constant worry about the same thing or many things?
Stress is a reaction to an EXTERNAL factor, such as a final exam. Stress goes away when the stressor goes away. Anxiety is INTERNAL, and a reaction to the stressor, that can be PERSISTENT. Continued worry about finances after a reduction in working hours, is an example of anxiety
Anxiety is a combination of all of these things. Put simply, anxiety is the emotional, physical, behavioral, and mental reactions to stress and stressful situations. On a positive note, stress can help us jump into action (fight) or deviate from the situation (flight). Stress from common concerns is normal and even adaptive, protective and helpful in some circumstances. We have common stress regarding finances, safe drivers on the road, and protecting our loved ones. Stress provides energy and motivation for action. It also lends us to conduct high level processing, direct attention to priorities, and protect us from harm.
Unfortunately, if these stressors or stressful situations continue, the emotional, physical, behavioral, and cognitive reactions (which comprise Anxiety) can be harmful to our everyday lives. For example, if you had to take a salary reduction, while other expenses were adding up, the constant worry about finances may cause anxiety to significantly impact your life. You will have constant worry about money, which will make you sad or anxious. You may experience persistent negative self-talk, such as “I will never make it out of this hole?” Physical symptoms such as a common cold are more likely due to decreased immune system functioning, not to mention the constant sweating or increased heart rate. And finally, you can suffer behaviorally, such as shutting out your occupational, or personal life, which in turn causes another anxious, and possibly depressive cycle.
If you start to notice that your anxiety is getting in the way of your ability to function at work or starts to interfere with your interpersonal relationships, this may be an indicator that it's time to talk to a professional about managing your anxiety.
The great news is anxiety is treatable and there are a number of effective treatments available. Here are some coping skills to help you get started:
Coping Skills for Anxiety
Psychological Coping Skills
What can you CONTROL?
Focus on the facts – “What is the evidence behind my thought?”
What would I tell a friend if they were in the same situation?
What is the best-case scenario regarding my anxious thought?
What is the most likely scenario?
What is the worst-case scenario?
Can I problem solve? What are the first steps to problem solve?
Behavioral Coping Skills
Schedule some fun activities throughout your day, week, and month
Reintroduce hobbies
Get adequate sleep
Eat a balanced diet
Exercise
Belly or Diaphragmatic breathing exercises
Connect with others – USE YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM!
These skills take clear understanding and practice. If you or your organization would like more information, and clear action plans for coping skills for stress and anxiety, please contact me at drjaytrambadia@gmail.com