Managing Stress 101
Feeling stressed? You’re not alone. According to a 2017 Gallup poll, 79 percent of Americans feel stress sometimes or frequently throughout the day. Stress is a common human experience, but do we really understand it?
Remember, stress, in its most pure form, is a good thing. Humans need stress to survive. Imagine if we didn’t have a stress response? Most of us would have been eaten by tiger of died by petting venomous snakes. Stress actually keeps us safe in many ways.
The disadvantage of stress is when it becomes a chronic condition. Instead of a reasonable stress response around jumping out of an airplane, we start to have it around answering an email or placing a take out order. Chronic stress can lead to a number of negative health outcomes, such as fatigue, insomnia, cardiovascular problems, muscle tension, and more.
For those reasons, it’s important understand our sources of stress and use tools to better manage our stress response. Mindfulness — awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally — is one of our greatest tools in battling stress.
Mindfulness has been found to significantly reduce anxiety, depression and somatic distress. Mindfulness can include activities such as paced breathing, mindful walking, and even coloring.
Interested in learning more mindfulness skills? Check out our Managing Stress 101 presentation by Founder and Therapist — Megan Matusky, LCSW.
Click the link below to watch the presentation:
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Calm Mind Therapy is a boutique mental health practice located in Ardmore, PA, specializing in the care of children, adolescents, and young adults. Our mission is to provide the Main Line with high-quality mental health services for children, teens, and adults. Our goal is to help our clients achieve emotional well-being and build a life worth living. Serving clients in Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Wynnewood, Narberth, Radnor, Lower Merion, Haverford, Villanova, Swarthmore, Devon, Berwyn, Malvern, Bala Cynwyd, and more.
