Thank you for joining me for this week’s blog! This week I’m starting a series of blogs on stress because we all experience it at one point or another in our lives. I wanted to begin with a focus on what stress feels like, as it can be experienced differently.
We are also introducing a new feature to accompany our blog this week – a downloadable guide that you can access for free! (make sure you have signed up below to receive the download). The resource gives you some quick and simple tips on how to manage stress.
So, what does stress feel like?
Stress – just saying the word almost makes you feel it. I felt it as I was writing this blog. I had two reactions that were physical and psychological:
- Physical: my hands felt clammy, my heart was beating faster, and there was pressure coming from a tightness in my chest.
- Psychological: my mind was easily wandering about other things I could be doing, and my list of “to-dos” was quickly growing in my mind.
Stress appears in our lives in many different ways and at times, will be more prevalent than others. I was tempted to look for a definition of stress and actually thought that it would not be helpful. I believe that we all have our own definitions of stress and how it impacts us. The example given is of what stress felt like to me. Your stress might be similar or likely, different. Even though your experience of stress might be different, it will still be uncomfortable and affect our ability to function.
When should you seek support for your feelings of stress?
After reading about what stress could feel like, it might seem as though stress is potentially manageable. Well, that’s true! You can actually work with the kind of stress I described, even though it doesn’t always feel good in the moment.
This brings up the following questions:
Is it normal to have stress?
Yes, it is! We all have stress, and it can be intrusive at different times in our lives. Most often, stress is dependent on what is happening around us and can ultimately be managed.
When can you start to manage the stress?
When it all seems like too much! If you are having difficulty prioritizing, or can’t focus and feel like you are not being productive. Good news – when you sign up with your email below you will receive our guide to get you started on how to tackle this level of stress.
What if you have tried to manage the stress and still need support?
If you have worked through our guide and find that you are still unable to make an impact on the level of stress you are experiencing, then it is likely time to get some extra support.
What can our team do for you?
Our team will be able to assess your levels of stress and help you discover the skills that can be used to work through the stress. Remember, you are the expert in your experience!
Now that we have a better understanding of what stress can feel like, I will be diving further into where those feelings of stress can come from, for our next blog.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure you enter your email below to stay in the loop and to receive our featured free resource on managing stress!
If you are interested in counselling or would like to speak to a member of our team, please contact us, we would be happy to speak with you.