The first Wednesday of every November is National Stress Awareness Day. A day to increase public awareness and help others recognize, manage, and reduce stress in their personal and professional lives. National Stress Awareness Day is a day-long event to help people take a deep breath and embrace peace. This day is celebrated mid-week on Wednesday which is typically the most exhausting and stressful day, to remind everyone and companies that stress management is crucial to personal and professional performance.
In honor of National Stress Awareness Day, let’s take a look at the different types of stress:
- Acute Stress – Brief
- Chronic Stress – Prolonged
- Episodic Acute Stress – Short-term but frequent
- Positive Stress – Known as Eustress which can be fun and exciting but can also take a toll
Stress can have multiple effects on a person’s health and well-being. Stress can:
- Make it more challenging to heal with life’s daily hassles
- Affect someone’s interpersonal relationships
- Have detrimental effects on the body and a person’s health
Stress can take a physical and mental toll on someone. Emotionally, stress can produce feelings of anxiety, frustration, burnout, and depression. Physically, stress can influence these conditions:
- Diabetes
- Hair loss
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Ulcers
Stress has no distinct medical diagnosis or any specific treatment for it. Each individual handles stress differently and treatment methods must be catered to yourself and what YOU need to reduce stress. Some types of treatment that may be useful include:
- Change the situation
- Develop stress-coping skills
- Relax and breath
- Meditate or exercise
- Take care of yourself and your well-being
Some other types of interventions include therapy, medication, and complementary and alternative medicine.