International Stress Awareness Day
- Vanessa Mukoo
- Nov 3, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2021
image source: Wix media
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The first Wednesday in November is recognised as International Stress Awareness Day. This year, it’s November 3rd, 2021. There is innumerable research on stress. One of the most concerning conclusions of one of these researches conducted by researchers from King’s College London, was that stress can increase the risk of mortality. Stress is an extremely normal and common phenomenon that nearly all of us experience from time to time so, let’s delve deeper into it on International Stress Awareness Day!
Per verywell mind, “Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain.”
Different people experience different kinds of stress depending on their situation and accordingly manage it in various ways. Some stress can be healthy and productive, while some stress can be bad for your mental health. A large polling company called Gallup carried out a study in which they surveyed 160,000 people in 116 countries during 2020 and early 2021 with the motive of finding out their stress levels and moods. The study concluded their “global emotions report” with the following highlights:
- 4 out of 10 adults said they had experienced worry (40%) or stress (40%)
- Under 3 out of 10 had experienced physical pain (29%)
- About 1 in 4 or more experienced sadness (27%) or anger (24%)
- The poll inferred that 2020 “officially became the most stressful year in recent history”
- Nearly 190 million people experienced significantly higher stress in 2020 than in the previous years
- In 2020, the world was a sadder, angrier, more worried and more stressed-out place than it has been at any time in the past 15 years
COVID-19 has played a vital role in increasing stress levels at an alarming rate. People being locked up in their houses, unable to meet their loved ones and unemployment rate shooting up due to millions of people losing their jobs has taken a toll on people’s mental health.
What are the different types of stress?
Among the various types of stress include:
Acute stress: according to patient.info, an acute stress reaction occurs when symptoms develop due to a particularly stressful event. It’s a type of short-term stress where symptoms of stress can develop fairly quickly but do not last long. This type of stress is usually harmless and sometimes even good for you, further preparing you for future stressful situations. However, acute stress can be severe at times, leading to a mental disorder like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of acute stress include poor concentration, emotional ups and downs, anxiety, irritability, unpleasant dreams and flashbacks, and even physical symptoms like chest pain, nausea, headaches, and a racing heartbeat (palpitations).
Episodic acute stress: episodic acute stress is like an extension to acute stress, but it occurs more frequently. This type of stress can especially be mentally and physically exhausting because you may feel constant pressure and things seem to be always going wrong. Symptoms of episodic acute stress could be irritability, unintended hostility, and relationship problems.
Chronic stress: a high level of long-term stress is termed as chronic stress. Chronic stress has a negative impact on your health to a great degree. Fatigue, headaches, rapid and disorganised thoughts, digestive problems, and changes in appetite are a few symptoms of chronic stress. This type of stress may even contribute to chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease. The opposite also holds true as chronic illness can lead to chronic stress which is discussed in the following section.
What causes stress?
Per healthline, a few causes of stress comprise:
Living through a natural or manmade disaster: natural calamities like a destructive earthquake or a tsunami can be greatly traumatising and stressful causing trauma related disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD). When talking about trauma related disorders, it is important to keep in mind that trauma is subjective in nature and you are not obligated to validate or justify your trauma in front of anyone else. Trauma related disorders can also affect individuals who have been victims of a crime such as sexual assault or domestic violence survivors.
Living with chronic illness: being in frequent pain and fatigue while keeping track of medicines to take and maintaining your health can be stressful. Moreover, physical changes to your appearance because of a disease can lead to a lack of self-esteem and social isolation. Depression and anxiety are common when dealing with a chronic illness.
Living in poverty or being homeless: around 2% of the global population is homeless. There are many reasons why one might be homeless including family rejection, domestic abuse, and substance abuse. Stress caused due to homelessness gives rise to suicide contemplation, addiction, depression, and various heart complications.
Having little work-life balance, working for long hours, and having a job you hate: working long hours; and exceedingly huge expectations and responsibilities from your job can cause stress. In order to lead a healthy lifestyle, there should be a proper balance between work life and personal life. A lack of that aspect can cause burnout and loss of a healthy social life outside of work such as friendships, relationships, and familial bonds.
Military deployment: deployment can cause panic, worry, and concern among family members. Being away from home for a long time can make someone feel overwhelmed and overcome with emotions thus causing stress.
How to effectively manage stress?
Sometimes excess responsibilities and other commitments can be unbearable. That is bound to cause stress. A few ways to tackle and manage that stress could be:
Exercise: working out is an effective way to relax your body and mind and eventually improve your mood. 20-30 minutes of brisk walking/treadmill and other exercises like swimming laps can pay off.
Eating well: maintaining a healthy diet with vegetables, fruits, and protein boosts energy and can help efficiently manage stress. Although, skipping meals can increase stress so make sure not to skip them.
Taking a day off/taking a break: take a day off from everything such as social media and work in order to relax and invest your time in doing things you love. Allocate some time for your favourite TV show or movie, or spend time with your loved ones, or try to follow a self-care routine. Taking a break for a while is a normal and healthy way of coping with stress and worry.
Having a good sleep schedule: 7-8 hours of sleep each night is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Schedule a proper “sleeping” time and a “waking up” time with about 7-8 hours between them.
And lastly...
Talking about your problems: this could be with a trusted co-worker, a friend, a family member, a partner, or a therapist. Though, services of a mental health professional like a therapist can be the most beneficial as a friend or a family member may not know how to constructively help and may even unintentionally add to your problems.
The takeaway
Stress is an extremely normal part of life but too much stress can be harmful (like causing anxiety and depression) and sometimes even prove fatal. There are various ways to manage stress while maintaining a proper lifestyle. Do not be afraid to seek help!
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