Why Managing Stress is Critical to Your Happiness and Well-Being?
The alarms clock goes off. It is 5 am and time to start a new day. Maggie’s feet haven’t even touched the floor yet and she is already stressing out. She has a long to-do list and not enough time in the day to finish everything!
Maggie groans and goes back to bed! A restful two hours later, she jumps up and realizes that she has overslept. Now she is going to be late and behind on her to-do list all day! Her stress levels are off the charts! She rushes to get out the door in the attempt to salvage the rest of day!
When she gets in the car, she realizes that it is Sunday and today is her day of rest. She lets out a big sigh of relief…ahhhhh! Then she goes back to bed.
Have you ever experienced a moment like Maggie’s? That moment when you realize that you just stressed yourself out for nothing. Then there is that release that tells you “you can relax now.” It is normal to experience stress in our day-to-day lives. Yet, as with most things, too much of anything can be harmful to our mind and body. This is why managing our stress levels is vital to our personal well-being and happiness.
In Psychology Today, stress is defined as:
Stress is simply a reaction to a stimulus that disturbs our physical or mental equilibrium. In other words, it’s an omnipresent part of life. A stressful event can trigger the “fight-or-flight” response, causing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to surge through the body. A little bit of stress, known as “acute stress,” can be exciting—it keeps us active and alert. But long-term, or “chronic stress,” can have detrimental effects on health. You may not be able to control the stressors in your world, but you can alter your reaction to them.
There are many things we can take from Maggie’s experience as it relates to stress:
1. Stress management is important. A prolonged period of stress is not healthy for the mind and body. It can impact your life without you even knowing it. It is best to manage and control your stress reaction so that you can effectively rest and be present in each moment. There are many stress management tools such as meditation, yoga, journaling, exercising, and so much more. Find what works for you.
2. Stress can impact your physical health. According to the Mayo Clinic, long-term stress can cause systems such as: a headache, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, fatigue, change in sex drive, stomach upset, and sleep problems.
3. Stress can impact your moods and mental health. Stress can also strain your mental health, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can results in symptoms of: anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation or focus, feeling overwhelmed, irritability or anger, and sadness or depression.
4. Stress can impact your behaviors and habits. As Mahatma Gandhi would say:
Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.
Your behaviors and habits are influenced by your thoughts. According to the Mayo Clinic, individuals with high levels of stress might indulge in risky behaviors such as overeating or undereating, angry outbursts, drug or alcohol abuse, tobacco use, social withdrawal, and exercising less often.
Final thoughts: There is nothing more important than your health and well-being. Take time each day to practice happiness habits to reduce your stress. Richard Carlson, author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things From Taking Over Your Life says:
“Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.”
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