Top Things That Stress Management Articles Commonly Get Wrong
It’s easy to find information about stress all over the internet. Whether it's articles with stress management tips or blog posts on how to identify stress, there’s no shortage of knowledge out there on how to understand and cope with this difficult emotion that has the potential to affect mental and physical health and well-being. However, not all stress management articles give you all the information you may need.
While there’s no denying the importance of learning how to identify and cope with psychological stress and situations called stressors, there are some key pieces of information these articles tend to leave out. Here are a few points that stress management articles often get wrong, plus information that may help fill in some of the gaps.
Some stress isn’t unhealthy—but chronic stress can be
Virtually everyone will experience stress at some time or another. Our hardwired stress response helped our ancient ancestors respond to danger, and this ability has supported the continued survival of the human race. Today, the stress response can still help us stay safe, but it may also be triggered by situations that don’t require us to run or fight like early humans did. An approaching work deadline or conflict with a partner can act as major stressors that cause the body to release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol and increase blood flow to prepare the body to react—just as it would have if you’d lived thousands of years ago and came face to face with a large animal.
Prolonged exposure to the stress reaction or overwhelming stress in everyday life—and its potential mental and physical effects on the human body—is what has been linked to several health problems. Some of these include anxiety disorders, trouble with immune system functioning, depression, high blood pressure, and digestive and cardiovascular disease or heart disease.
It can look different from person to person
Many stress management articles lead readers to believe that stress responses are quite standard in appearance. The images associated with these articles often include someone clutching their head, grinding their teeth, or tossing and turning in their bed at night, with the text detailing basic physical symptoms like muscle tension and a tendency to feel overwhelmed.
While stress can definitely have some of these fundamental physical markers, we each might experience it somewhat differently. Identifying how you personally tend to react to stress may help you learn to better cope with it.
Physical signs associated with stress
The American Institute of Stress has identified 50 general physical signs and symptoms that can be associated with the condition. Some of these that may be lesser-known include:
- Tension headaches
- Hives
- Increased or decreased appetite
- Insomnia
- Little interest in punctuality or appearance
- Forgetfulness
- Lower sexual desire or trouble with performance
- Neck pain
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Unexplained infections, illness, or pain
- Inability to prioritize tasks and make decisions
- Excessive defensiveness or aggressive behavior
- Overreaction to petty annoyances
Unexplained physical or mental health symptoms may or may not be related to stress. If you’re concerned about some you may be experiencing, consulting with a doctor or a mental health professional is generally recommended.
Stress management can look different for everyone, too
Just like presentations of stress itself can vary from person to person, effective methods of managing it can be diverse as well. Consider the fact that nearly every article you come across will tell you to practice self-care. While this is generally sound advice, the examples given are often narrow. They usually begin and end with eating nutritious foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, leaning on social support, and taking deep breaths. While these are undoubtedly useful suggestions for caring for health and promoting resilience and the physical relaxation response, the most effective self-care for stress management may need to go deeper.
So beyond the basics, what exactly is self-care? It can include anything we do to let off steam, refuel our emotional tanks, and recharge our brains or our hearts. For example, self-care can be anything that is:
- Adventurous
- Relaxing
- Mentally stimulating
- Physically stimulating
- Artistic
- Creative
- Organizational
- Exploratory
Which of these feelings or activity types you might need to pursue to feel calmer after a stressful situation depends on your unique needs and preferences. This is what many stress management articles might fail to tell you: that you may have to build on and think beyond the basic, traditional strategies for maximum effectiveness. In the end, what may matter most is finding the practices that help you feel like you.
Stress can be related to other physical and mental health concerns
Stress can be linked to several other health conditions. If you suspect a mental health disorder might be at the root of your experiences, it can be important to speak to your doctor or a licensed mental health professional. They can help you come up with a personalized treatment plan for reducing stress and addressing symptoms that may help you experience a higher quality of life.
Therapy may help you find relief from symptoms
Another option for managing stress is working with a licensed therapist. Not only can it offer a safe place to explore your feelings, but your counselor may also help you shift your thinking so you can become more skilled in finding ways to handle life’s stressors that work for you—whether that’s engaging in tai chi, learning to practice gratitude, making art, or anything else. If the thought of commuting to and from in-person therapy appointments adds to your stress, you might want to consider online therapy instead. Platforms like BetterHelp allow you to get matched and meet with a licensed therapist from anywhere you have an internet connection, for your convenience.
If you’ve tried therapy before and didn't find it helpful, it is possible that you weren't working with the right therapist or engaging in the right therapy technique for you. There’s more than one type of talk therapy, and everyone has their unique needs and preferences. If you engage in therapy again, you might ask your provider which ones they practice. Some of the most common types include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This type of talk therapy can allow the client to better understand their thoughts and behaviors in response to stressors in their life. The therapist can then help them reframe their thoughts and try new behaviors to overcome future difficulties.
- Interpersonal therapy. This type of therapy can help you manage your relationships with others and make positive changes within them.
- Psychodynamic therapy. This therapy modality can help a person focus on understanding subconscious influences, potentially working to heal pain from the past that may affect current behavior.
As one meta-analysis suggests, online therapy of various modalities can be effective in addressing a variety of mental health challenges and conditions, such as stress, anxiety disorders, and depression. These effects were observed in over 20+ studies that evaluated a pool of 1,400+ participants. Additionally, no comparable difference in effectiveness was noted between online and in-person CBT.
Takeaway
Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about this topic.
What are 3 ways to manage symptoms?
Three of the six stress management techniques mentioned in this article include the following:
- Take up journaling. Journaling can be an effective way to handle stress because it gives you an opportunity to slow down and check in with how you feel. Writing down your feelings helps you get a bit of distance from them, and you can pick up on any negative self-talk or distorted thinking. Journaling can also help you identify sources of stress so you can figure out how best to address them.
- Exercise regularly. There is plenty of research showing exercise is good for your mental health and that it can help the body cope with the physical effects of stress. Finding a physical activity that you enjoy enough to do regularly can help benefit your overall physical and mental health.
- Try mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation involves engaging in non-judgmental awareness of your feelings, thoughts, and surroundings, and some studies show that this type of intervention can help people handle stress.
What are the 4 A's of stress management?
The four A’s of stress management are avoid, alter, accept, and adapt.
- Avoid. You can avoid some minor stressors that can help you handle stress from day to day. For example, if you know you’re facing a stressful commute, listen to your favorite podcast or audiobook to help you enjoy it a little more, or if you have an office mate that makes your work life more stressful, try to put physical distance between you.
- Alter. Try to change the way people interact with you. Communicate clearly and let people know your expectations. If you don’t like how someone speaks to you, use “I” statements to tell them how you feel and your expectations.
- Accept. Accepting situations can help you handle stress if avoiding and altering doesn’t work, but it can be challenging. Talk to someone about your feelings, whether it’s a friend, family member, or professional mental health counselor.
- Adapt. Changing your expectations can help you cope with stress; even small changes in your daily life can make a big difference. Choose meals that are easy to prepare instead of cooking complicated recipes after busy days at work; making similar small substitutions throughout your daily life can have a significant impact.
What is the first step in trying to manage stress?
Everyone is different, so this first step of stress relief may not work for everyone, but sometimes, learning how to pinpoint when you start feeling stressed can be an excellent first step to managing it. If you can pick up on early signs of stress before they get too out of control, you may be able to stop your anxiety from progressing.
How can you handle stress in a healthful effective way?
Some ways of coping with stress may also positively impact your health. Getting enough sleep, eating a healthy, balanced diet, establishing an effective sleep routine, and stopping smoking and drinking alcohol can all help you with stress and positively impact your health.
What are the 3 main types of stress discussed in the article?
This article doesn’t really touch on different types of stress, but there are generally two types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is short-term and goes away quickly. You might feel acute stress if an animal runs across the road while you’re driving and you have to slam on the breaks or if you go skydiving. Chronic stress lasts longer and can last for weeks or months. People can experience long-term stress from various situations, like serious illness, money problems, or trouble at work.
Five stress management tips that can help are:
- Try guided meditation. Guided meditation can distract you from daily stress, and many websites and free apps can help you get started.
- Engage in deep breathing exercises. Breathing can help calm the sympathetic nervous system, which can help slow down the body’s stress response. There are many to try, but a simple Breathing technique is breathing in for five seconds, holding your breath for two seconds, then exhaling slowly for five seconds.
- Focus on exercise and a healthy diet. Nutrition and exercise are essential components of how the body responds to stress. Physical exercise is an effective stress reliever, and maintaining proper nutrition can help support your mind and body to combat stress more effectively.
- Don’t spend too much time on social media. Spending too much time on social media sites can be stressful for a few reasons. The things you might see can cause undue stress, and the time you spend online may be better spent doing something else, like visiting a friend or spending time outdoors.
- Connect with other people. Connecting with others can be an excellent way to help you with your stress because it can help you build relationships that support you in difficult times and contribute to a positive attitude. Reach out to friends and family, join a faith- or community-based group, or connect with a mental health professional.
The ABC model of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be an effective way of handling stress. Psychologist Albert Ellis developed this method and focuses on activating events (A) in our lives that cause us to develop beliefs (B) and about how those events can have emotional consequences (C).
If you use the ABC model in CBT, you may focus on how your stress level can increase from your perception of an event, not the stressful event itself. Your therapist may help you determine any unhealthy thoughts and challenge you to reframe those negative thoughts to manage your reactions to stressful situations.
What are the 7 steps in managing stress?
The National Institutes of Health has listed seven tips to help people manage their stress.
- Recognize and counter signs of stress. By picking up on signs of stress like a nervous stomach or feeling on edge, you can take action to counter them before things progress. For example, try breathing exercises, writing in a journal, or taking a walk.
- Take time for yourself. Make time to take care of yourself every day, whether trying various relaxation techniques, exercising, reading a good book, or listening to relaxing music.
- Try a new routine. Schedule your day to allow time to take more care of your mental health. For example, you can plan to take a long hot bath in the evening right before bed by changing from your normal routine of watching a TV show or playing games on your tablet.
- Stay connected to people and make new friends. Keep in touch with your friends and family and join a support group or a community group that allows you to meet new people with whom you may have something in common.
- Look at problems through a different lens. Also known as reframing, this practice can help you see things in a new light. For example, if you’re stuck in traffic, try to see it as an opportunity to listen to another chapter of an audiobook or finish your favorite podcast.
- Seek help when you need it. Sometimes, the stress of day-to-day life can feel overwhelming, whether related to work, family, finances, or physical health. If you need help managing things, reach out to your friends and family to ask for help.
- Talk to a mental health professional. If you feel like you need help managing your stress or if you just want someone to talk to, connect with a therapist who has stress management training to learn more about what is causing your stress and how to manage it.
What not to do when stressed?
If you feel stressed, many things can make you feel even more overwhelmed. One of the primary things you should do is avoid using drugs and alcohol as a way to deal with your stress. You should also avoid losing too much sleep, overeating unhealthy foods, overloading your schedule, or indulging in negative thinking.
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