How To Cope With Emotional Stress? 5 Valuable Tips To Care For Your Mental Health

It might not be clear to many, but stress has lived with everyone since the time being. Little changes in the environment, failed goals, or even simple reasons could cause stress to anybody. Even awful thoughts or experiences could bring the body into a stressful state. And as far as stress is concerned, mental health doesn’t escape the ill effects of it. Emotional stress is among the dangerous attributes of chronic stress. Hence, many people are on their wits, looking for ways to deal with and minimize their stress levels. Especially women during pregnancy often experience stressful moments but this is something that does no good to them or the baby Too much stress is never good to experience. One should seek ways to minimize it. Let’s dive into ways to do this. But first, what is stress?

 

Stress Is Everywhere

Indeed, stress could materialize due to different reasons. It could be anything from a hectic day at work or financial problems. Bad memories and traumatic experiences could even have lasting stressful impacts on others. The noise, light, changes in the situation, and unwanted results that are easily acceptable to many could be stressful to few. Hence, when you are highly sensitive to stress, anything could be a trigger for you. These triggers, also known as stressors, are different for each person. Your definition of a stressful situation may not be the same as others. And it will always depend on how you are able to cope with these unprecedented changes and negative events. A brief feeling of sadness is normal. But when it lasts longer than it should, it could put your mental health at risk. The physical signs of stress are easy to notice and treat. However, when it comes to the brain, detecting the presence of emotional stress could be tricky.

 

When the brain perceives the presence of a stressor, it stimulates the chemical release in the body. Such chemical messengers called hormones have the capacity to affect other organs such as the heart and muscles. These stress factors will leave your heart pumping furiously and your lungs gasping for air rapidly. With the body working more efficiently and in an excited state, you develop better skills. But these changes should only occur during emergency or dangerous scenarios. And even with the brain’s complexity and advanced wiring, it fails to differentiate between a real threat to a nonexistent one. Hence, even simple things could make you feel agitated and always at your feet.

 

What Is Emotional Stress?

The brain may be an organ of wit and intelligence, but it fails to save itself from the blows of stress. Compared to the physical signs of stress, emotional symptoms come together with mental strain. The changes in cardiovascular and body condition could also induce emotional stress in a person. And although worry, fear, anger and sadness are normal emotions, stressful situations make them linger. Even physical pain takes a psychological toll on a patient, including feeling helpless, anger, and emotional distress.

 

Ways How Emotional Stress Could Present

With more than three-quarters of adults reported to have experienced physical or emotional stress in 2019, stress becomes a hot issue. The American Psychological Association (APA) even warned on the health effects of stress. Hence, it is important to notice the signs when present and manage stress effects quickly. Here are the different signs and symptoms that indicate emotional stress:

Depression

The persistence of severe low mood is what defines depression. This emotional stress may be attributed to the changes during the defensive state of the body. The release of stress hormones in the bloodstream also activates other substances that may act as a sedative. The unusually high number of these “sedatives” will spark the constant feeling of low energy or depression. This may also arise from the belief that one’s resources are not enough to handle stressful conditions. Although feeling down could be normal, the persistent low mood could hinder regular daily activities.

 

Anxiety

While physical symptoms of stress are easy to bear and treat, its mental counterparts are not. For instance, the prolonged feeling of dread or anxiety could affect the balance of life. Hence, it is important to manage stress early in the process. Depression and anxiety are often associated, but these are different things. Anxiety only refers to the feeling of impending doom and helplessness. These thoughts could even amplify emotional stress. High-level anxiety also has physical symptoms such as fidgeting, biting nails or tapping feet.

 

Intensified Bipolar Disorder

Also known as manic depression, this condition could get worse with emotional stress. Signs of bipolar disorder involve dramatic swings in mood. These shifts include the energetic and risk taking temperament of the manic state to the lows of a depressive state. In a nutshell, bipolar disorder spans the symptoms of major depression to a hyperactive one. With the rapid switching of mood, manic depression could affect a person’s energy level, judgement and behaviour. And in the presence of stress, the bipolar mood could even get worse. Stress may induce either cycle and even extend its duration and intensity.

 

Memory And Cognitive Problems

When stressed, your body is not the only one bearing the grave effects. With emotional stress, cognitive strains are also present. Issues may include ineffective learning mechanisms and poor memory. This cognitive impact roots from the alteration in the nervous system in the constant presence of stressors. Hormones released during stress will affect not only emotions but also the neural cells. These cells are important for skills like judgement and problem-solving. Hence, people with emotional stress or pressure may experience confusion, indecisiveness and forgetfulness.

 

Tips And Tricks For Stress Management

Prevent unwanted body responses to things and manage stress better through the right strategies. When you know what to do during that sudden pumping of the heart and rapid breathing, you get to limit stress effects in your body. Indeed, when people say that resilience and positivity are the answers, it might be easier said than done. It is best to take coping techniques slowly and surely. Here are things you can adapt when emotional stress hits you:

• Opt for a healthy diet

As the saying goes, you are what you eat. And when you feed your body unhealthy foods, expect worse distress. On the contrary, healthy foods will even prevent the occurrence of illness such as heart disease. Food options containing antioxidants may also alter symptoms and damages of emotional stress.

 

• Maintain regular physical activity

Exercise will stimulate the release of endorphins. These hormones are related to higher capacity of blocking pain and improving sleep. And with better sleep, there is less strain on your mental health.

 

• Practice relaxation techniques

Whether it is a deep breathing strategy or yoga, relaxation could turn around how stressors impact your life. Taking meditation classes even changes how you perceive things and could lessen the emotional impact of stress. These techniques will also decrease pain, improve mood and stabilize energy levels.

 

• Divert the negative thoughts

More than finding methods to control emotional stress response, find a way to hide the stressors. Building a healthy hobby or improving your talents will switch your attention to other things. Hence, even quick leisure once in a while will prevent the risk of emotional stress. Talking to friends and socializing will keep you out of the blues and distract you from impeding thoughts.

 

• Seek professional advice

It is best to hear what a professional will have to say about your situation. Depending on your state, your physician could prescribe drugs or therapies to combat stress. You could also opt for wellness and health related books to know more about your situation.

 

Defeating Emotional Stress Is Possible

There could be no other best word to describe stress than diversity. It has different causes, variable presentations and countless complications. One of its underrated forms is emotional stress. The situation may even get chronic and induce complications such as disease development. And even when emotional stress may present latent symptoms, intervention is possible. Hence more than striving for resilience all the time, early detection and recognition are more essential. With helpful practices, even a traumatic experience or long standing psychological illness becomes manageable. Indeed, knowing how to control your body’s reaction to stress will help in spotting sunshine even on cloudy days.