Understanding Stress and Its Impact

While a little pressure can help you stay focused, stress can negatively impact your health in a variety of ways. To keep you safe, your brain activates your "fight, flight, or freeze" system when you're exposed to a potential threat. It basically trains you to do whatever it takes to stay alive.

The Effects of Stress

While stress is intended to be a normal part of life, it is when your "fight, flight, or freeze" response does not shut down that your health begins to suffer. Problems can emerge in a variety of areas, including psychological, physical, behavioral, and interpersonal.

How to Relieve Stress

Before I give you some stress-reduction methods, I want to caution you about one thing: your brain may resist you on performing any of these things. Slowing down may be perceived as scary when it believes it is "protecting" you. Simply acknowledge your doubt, remind yourself that it's normal, and try a few of these.

Buy yourself time and space. Experiment with options that soothe your system. Reduce things that amp up your system.

Seek Treatment

If you're feeling overwhelmed, getting help is always a good idea. Many of my customers have admitted that they were hesitant to schedule an appointment because they didn't believe their symptoms were "severe" enough. Don't worry, this doesn't happen very often in treatment.