What is stress?
Stress is our body’s reaction when we experience an overwhelming demand or threat. The cause of stress is called a stressor, which can be anything that involves some sort of change and/or obstacle in your everyday life. While we typically think of stress of as a bad thing, there are positive stressors like getting a new job or expecting a child which can motivate you and keep you alert. When we have unwanted or unexpected stress, it can cause you to feel tense, anxious, irritable or overwhelmed. Stress can cause your muscles to become tense and raise your heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, these reactions can cause bigger health problems. Understanding how to manage stress can prevent future health issues and your quality of life.
Do you have too much stress in your life?
Your mind and body will give you signs that you are overstressed. Take this simple test to find out if you have symptoms caused by too much stress:
- Do you feel like you are not yourself?
- Do you feel overwhelmed?
- Do you feel unable to cope with what you can usually handle?
- Do you often feel anxious, angry, irritable or tense?
- Do you get headaches or stiffness/tension in your muscles, jaw or back?
- Do you feel unable to concentrate or remember things as well as you normally do?
- Do you frequently have an upset stomach, skin rashes, racing heartbeat or sweaty palms?
- Are you more tired or do you have less energy level than usual?
- Are you less interested in things you normally enjoy?
- Do you have trouble sleeping?
- Are you using alcohol or drugs to escape your problems?
If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, you may be feeling signs of stress overload.
How does stress affect my heart?
Unmanaged stress over time can cause high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms and a weak immune system. It may also damage your arteries.
In times of stress, people often turn to harmful habits to reduce their stress, such as cigarette smoking, overeating, using drugs or drinking too much alcohol. These all add to your risk of heart disease and stroke.
How can I control my stress?
You are in charge of your body. Your mind and body listen to each other, and you can control the self-talk that goes on inside. Try these tips to control your stress:
- Recognize the things that make you feel stressed.
- Accept that you cannot change some situations.
- Make time each day to relax. Relaxation exercises and apps can help.
- Take care of your body. Eat a healthy diet, exercise most days and get enough sleep.
- Take control of your schedule. Prioritize what needs to be done each day and focus on one day at a time.
- Take time to praise yourself for a job well-done.
- Avoid negative self-talk like “what-ifs” and avoid focusing on things you can’t control.
- Get answers to questions that worry you, especially questions about your health.
- Get help if you have a hard time controlling stress or are using bad habits to handle stress. There are many resources available to help you, such as:
- Self-help books.
- Individual or group counseling.
- Community self-help and support groups.
- Talk to your doctor about stress management.
Cleveland Clinic Center for Behavioral Health
Experts in Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Behavioral Health can help you manage stress to improve your overall health and well-being. They offer individual treatment plans to:
- Help you learn about yourself and the mind-body connection.
- Teach you skills designed to establish a healthy, balanced lifestyle, while reducing unhealthy levels of anxiety or tension.
- Help you learn techniques such as relaxation training, deep breathing and muscle relaxation.
- Help you protect your heart from potentially harmful mind/body inner self-talk.
- Help you learn mind-body self-regulation through biofeedback training.
Your Behavioral Health specialist will work with your Preventive Cardiologist and Rehabilitation Program team to control and prevent cardiovascular disease.
