Chronic Stress

Stress is distinct from anxiety, though the two often overlap.  Stress, as you might imagine, involves a stressor.  There is an acute, specific circumstance responsible for the discomfort.  When that stressor is removed, the stress goes with it.  For example, a college student studying for final exams or an employee staring down a looming deadline for a project at work.  Once that stressor goes away, the individual returns to their baseline.  Anxiety, on the other hand, is a bit more difficult to nail down.  For most individuals, problems with anxiety will persist even when triggering stimuli are removed. 

Most of us are equipped to navigate one acute stressor or another, but we can start to get a bit overwhelmed when stressors are chronic or when they start to pile up.  We can handle the stress of a new job, but when that comes on the heels of a recent move, financial strain, and poor sleep, that stressor starts to get a bit unwieldy.  When managing stress, it can be important to identify ways of eliminating stressors, however, sometimes these stressors are out of our control.  In these instances, we may be better off focusing on expanding our capacity to manage stress.  Establishing balance in our lives — sleeping, eating, exercising, carving out tie for leisure activities, etc. — can have a significant impact on our ability to manage the stressors that show up in our lives.  

While a little bit of stress can be helpful — it allows us to jump into action, focus, and get things done.  But as stress builds and becomes more chronic, it generally ceases to be useful and starts to have a more negative impact on our wellbeing. 

Stress Resources:

Help Guide: Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes

Help Guide: Job Loss and Unemployment Stress

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA): Stress

American Psychological Association (APA): Stress in America: A National Mental Health Crisis