Stress is our body’s way of responding to demanding or high-pressure situations.
Typically, we only start to notice stress when it’s already overwhelming us. It can manifest in mental strain, or through physical symptoms. When unchecked & un-dealt with, stress can worsen, leading to anxiety, depression, illness, etc.
Knowing this, we can begin to understand why finding the root of stress is so important in our stress management process! Learning to find the root can help you create an action plan when you begin to see triggers or warning signs of stress showing up in your life. Learning to prevent your stress from spiraling out of control by addressing the root of the problem rather than the symptoms will help improve your emotional, mental & physical health.
Today ask yourself:
- How do I typically deal with stress?
- Do I find myself addressing it at the root or do I need help creating a plan that allows this?
- How frequently am I assessing myself & my environment for stressors?
- When do I notice stress?
- Do I know my own stress warning signs?
- Do I experience physical expressions of stress?
Make a list of the ways stress presents itself in your life.
Knowing what to look out for is helpful in creating a stress action plan. It requires you to be in tune with yourself & your surroundings on a more regular frequency, helping you keep in touch with how you’re feeling before it becomes too overwhelming to deal with.
As well as helping you identify how stress presents itself in your life, it will help you stay motivated to find the root of your stress before these symptoms emerge. Use this list as a motivator to get to the cause of stress and treat it there before it manifests in other ways.
Knowing how to look out for stress is helpful in creating a stress action plan that allows you to deal with your manifestations of stress before they become too overwhelming or detrimental to your health.
However, getting to the root of your stress is by far the best option!
Learning to get to the root of stress takes a lot of practice, and a lot of introspection, which can feel uncomfortable for many of us. Today I’m going to give you a few steps you can use to get started:
- Monitor stress as it comes up: right now, you’re probably not going to be able to stop stress at the root. Instead, keep a log of stress when it happens! What caused it? How did it feel? How did it show up in your life? When you learn your patterns it’s easier to see them coming.
- Learn common expressions of stress: How do you know when you’re stressed? Take a few moments to explore possible expressions of stress. Make a list. It might include things like: overreacting to common/everyday situations, inability to relax, low self esteem, self isolation, mood swings, trouble breathing, trouble sleeping, frequent illness, insomnia, headaches, etc. When you’ve written out your full list, circle the ones you recognize as ways stress manifests in your life. Compare that to the log you kept from step #1. Was there anything you left out?
- Take time to reflect: When you feel these symptoms coming on, set aside a few minutes for concentrated reflection. Find the who’s what’s why’s when’s and where’s of your stress. Who/what is bothering you? Why is it causing you stress? When did the stress start? Where in your life is stress showing up the most?
- Piece together what you’ve learned: Now that you can see how stress shows up in your life, how it feels when it does, and connected the feelings to where they’re coming from, it’s up to you to make an action plan to resolve the uneasiness! Are you feeling to much pressure at work? At home? Schedule a time to talk about your concerns and see if someone can help lighten the load. Asking for support in areas we know cause stress can help lessen the overall feelings of stress!
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” -Lou Holtz
Alyssa Mairanz, LMHC, DBTC
Alyssa Mairanz provides counseling and therapy services for life transitions, relationship issues, self esteem, depression, anxiety, and DBT and Psychodynamic therapy in a NYC group practice in the Flatiron District near Madison Square Park. She also serves the Village, Chelsea, Union Square, the Financial District and the surrounding areas.
Empower Your Mind Therapy’s mission is to helps our clients build the life they want and find more happiness and satisfaction.
