Recently
the American Psychological Association
(APA) released the findings of their annual nationwide Stress in America survey. The
Stress in America survey has been released since 2007 as part of the APA’s Mind/Body Health campaign. The Stress in America survey measures
attitudes and perceptions of stress among the general public and identifies
leading sources of stress, common behaviors used to manage stress and the
impact of stress on our lives.
According
to the survey, almost three-quarters (72 percent) of
respondents say that their stress level has increased or stayed the same over
the past five years and 80 percent say their stress level has increased or
stayed the same in the past year. Only 20 percent said their stress level has
decreased in the past year.
Some of the most common sources of stress included
money (69 percent), work (65 percent), the economy (61 percent), family
responsibilities (57 percent), relationships (56 percent), family health
problems (52 percent) and personal health concerns (51 percent). Given
the level of stress experienced by American’s we need to continue to work
towards strengthening our understanding of the connection between mental and
physical health.
How does stress affect your overall health?
The National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) identifies three different types of stress,
all of which carry physical and mental health risks:
- Routine stress
related to the pressures of work, family and other daily responsibilities.
- Stress brought about
by a sudden negative change, such as losing a job, divorce, or illness.
- Traumatic stress,
experienced in an event like a major accident, war, assault, or a natural
disaster where one may be seriously hurt or in danger of being killed.
The body responds to
each type of stress in similar ways. Different people may feel it in different
ways. For example, some people experience mainly digestive symptoms, while
others may have headaches, sleeplessness, depressed mood, anger and
irritability. People under chronic stress are prone to more frequent and severe
viral infections, such as the flu or common cold, and vaccines, such as the flu
shot, are less effective for them.
Ways to cope with stress
Previously,
I published a blog
on ways to cope with stress. Although not an exhaustive list it provided some
simple strategies to cope with stress. The NIMH also provides the following
tips:
- Seek help from a qualified mental
health care provider if you are overwhelmed, feel you cannot cope, have
suicidal thoughts, or are using drugs or alcohol to cope.
- Get proper health
care for existing or new health problems.
- Stay in touch with
people who can provide emotional and other support. Ask for help from friends,
family, and community or religious organizations to reduce stress due to work
burdens or family issues, such as caring for a loved one.
- Recognize signs of
your body's response to stress, such as difficulty sleeping, increased alcohol
and other substance use, being easily angered, feeling depressed, and having
low energy.
- Set priorities-decide
what must get done and what can wait, and learn to say no to new tasks if they
are putting you into overload.
- Note what you have
accomplished at the end of the day, not what you have been unable to do.
- Avoid dwelling on
problems. If you can't do this on your own, seek help from a qualified mental
health professional who can guide you.
- Exercise
regularly-just 30 minutes per day of gentle walking can help boost mood and
reduce stress.
- Schedule regular
times for healthy and relaxing activities.
- Explore stress coping
programs, which may incorporate meditation, yoga, tai chi, or other gentle
exercises.
In
addition to uses these strategies, it may also be helpful to seek professional
help if you feel that you are extremely overwhelmed by life circumstances. The
APA provides a free tool to locate
psychologist in your area. You can also contact your local state psychological
association for resources to help locate a therapist.
Copyright 2013
Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.
On
yesterday, we experienced another tragedy in Boston when an explosion occurred
near the finish line at the Boston Marathon. According to the New
York Times, almost 23,000 runners participated in the race and approximately
three-quarters of the runners had crossed the finish line prior to the bomb
exploding. President Obama made a statement following the explosion
and stated “I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take
care of each other, and move forward as one proud city. And as they do, the
American people will be with them every single step of the way.” 
