What is Stress?
High stress can be worry or mental tension caused by difficult situations. Stress can affect your emotions, behaviors, and how you behave. Symptoms of stress can include anxiety, anger, irritability, overwhelm, and depression. Stress can also cause physical symptoms such as difficulty breathing, sleep problems, panic attacks, chest pain, headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, or other health issues.
We identify stressors in your life and ways to manage them and learn effective customized tools, relaxation techniques, and coping skills that work for your daily life to manage stressors.
What are the Different Types of Stress?
Acute Stress
Different types of stress can affect our well-being. One type of stress is acute stress, which is a stress response due to an abrupt change or a possible immediate threat. Acute stress can cause us to feel symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, or increased heart rate. Acute stress is usually brief or short-term, and it is the most common type of stress. Acute stress is usually caused by negative thinking about certain situations or future events as well.
Chronic Stress
Another type of stress is chronic stress, which is caused by continuous stressors such as dysfunctional family or unhealthy work environment, which can lead to symptoms such as fatigue and depression. Other types of chronic stress can come from repeated abuse or trauma, long term poverty, or being in an unhappy marriage.
Chronic stress is long-term and can continue over time from challenging situations or lifestyle dynamics. If chronic stress is left untreated for a long period of time, it can significantly impact a person’s physical and mental health in many unhealthy ways.
Physical Stress
Physical stress is a type of stress that affects our bodies. It occurs when a person experiences prolonged stress, which can lead to changes in the body, such as muscle tension, headaches, and overtiredness. Physical stress could also cause other health complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and a risk of increased alcohol or substance use.
Psychological Stress
Psychological stress is a type of stress that affects our mental and emotional health. It can be caused by different types of situations or events that are difficult or tense. When a person experiences, psychological stress can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and difficulty managing ongoing complications or stress in daily life. Psychological stress can also increase the risk of certain serious health problems, such as mental health disorders and heart disease.
Cognitive Stress
Cognitive stress is the type of stress that derives from the way we process information and think. Many things, such as relationships, work issues, certain challenges, or changes in our lives, can cause it. Cognitive stress can affect our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. This type of stress may allow us to feel overburdened, not in control, and have difficulty focusing and making choices. Some of the symptoms of cognitive stress are anxiety, depression, and irritability.
How We Work With Stress at Healing Time Therapy
We identify stressors in clients’ lives by breaking them down into specific worries and help clients learn how it impacts or affects their daily life. We assist clients in navigating their stressors by learning ways to manage them with effective customized tools, relaxation techniques, and coping skills that work for their lifestyle.
We utilize evidenced-based therapy models EMDR, CBT, and Solution Focused Therapy to assist clients in taking control of their thoughts and finding healthy ways to manage stress and improve overall well-being.
