Highway to Health: Stress Management

Stress management is how your body responds to a challenging situation. It is meant to be helpful, as it triggers changes to hormones that prepare the body to face a potentially dangerous situation. Increased production of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine will increase alertness and blood pressure, making the muscles more prepared for rapid activation. This is a survival mechanism that is often called “fight or flight.” While this stress response can be beneficial in the short term, it can cause problems when it persists long-term. When stress is unrelenting, these same hormones that are beneficial in small doses can cause a variety of mental and physical health problems, including mood changes, depression, headaches, sleep disruptions, digestive problems, and increased blood pressure. This can raise a person’s risk for Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Since no one can completely avoid stress, it is important to develop ways to manage it effectively. Tips for managing stress include:

• Focus on what you can change. Break the problem down into parts and identify those that are out of your control. Try to focus on the parts of the problem you can impact and make small changes when you are able.
• Stay active. Research has shown that regular physical activity can help relax muscles, improve mood, and relieve stress.
• Try a relaxation technique. Deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness activities can improve your mood and calm your nervous system.
• Take a timeout. If you can, remove yourself briefly from the people or place that is causing your stress. Even a quick walk or coffee break may help you feel calmer and more in control.
• Get help. Sometimes, stress is too much to manage on your own. Professional counseling or therapy may give you additional tools to manage your stress. This may be covered by your insurance plan.

For more information or support, contact CPC’s nurse advocate team at cpcnurseadvocate@lockton.com or 888-417-1219.