will want a team of support to help you through it. Other helpful ways to manage stress include:


• Accepting you for who you are, including knowing what makes you feel physically/mentally agitated.


• Scheduling regular time for solitude • Developing good sleep hygiene


Being Stressed Doesn’t Have To Be So Stressful


By Erica L. Wilcox, LPC O


n a day-to-day basis, we are general- ly able to undergo various amounts of stress that doesn’t appear to infl u-


ence our functioning. However, the feeling of being overwhelmed by COVID-19, or just overwhelmed constantly from everyone in every direction is another story. Toxic stress can appear unmanageable. It tends to have an impact on our physical, spiritual and men- tal health. Thus, many people will fi nd that prolonged periods of stress gone untreated will result in anxiety, physical ailments, dif- fi culties with work-life balance, and one’s overall spiritual well-being. With just a bit of knowledge in identifying, understanding and managing stress, we can avoid this.


Let’s group stress into two categories: eustress and distress. Eustress is the type of stress we experience that is necessary in our life in order to push our body, mind and ac- tions to reach our potential; like childbirth or marriage. Distress, on the other hand, can be long-term or short-term, and cause us to have decreased performance and loss of hope in our abilities, and can lead to more concern- ing mental health issues, let alone general- ized anxiety symptoms.


Unmanaged stress can have detrimen- tal effects on our mind, body and spiritual health. Stress can result in diffi culties with concentration, regulation of emotions, and can increase the severity of already present mental health issues. Unmanaged stress can lead to many physical issues. Stress causes our body to release copious amounts of the hormone cortisol. This causes our brain and body to become infl amed and vulnerable to infection. Prolonged and untreated mental health issues resulting from unmanaged stress can result in infl ammatory issues such as IBS, eczema, acid refl ux, chronic headaches, chronic pain, and trouble sleeping (improper sleep impacts our body’s ability to regulate emotions, let alone contributes to physical issues). Spiritually, stress can have an impact on our well-being. This is important in order to feel a sense of purpose and identity. When


we are under immense stress, it can become diffi cult to want to focus on your higher pow- er, your values, and belief systems. It is easy to see how unmanaged stress can impact our whole well-being!


Now, stress is necessary in our lives.


Without the feeling of a possible stressful situation, we might not be able to protect ourselves from sensing trouble as we walk by a dark alley. Therefore, stress is necessary to protect ourselves. How can you better be- gin to manage stress? Start with identifying it. The following are some common signs and symptoms:


• Poor sleep patterns • Poor appetite


• Increase in irritability and/or mood swings


• Decrease in productivity


• Decreased pleasure in things you once enjoyed


• Withdrawal from family/social supports


• Increase in body tension, headaches or jaw/shoulder/back pain


• Increase in illness frequency and length


• Feeling as though, “I can’t shut my mind off,” “This is too much for me,” “I have no time”


• Increase in use of alcohol/drugs


• Sudden onset/increase in suicidal thoughts (contact 911)


• Withdrawal from use of your s piritual coping mechanisms (yoga, meditation, prayer)


If you have identifi ed with one or more of these issues, it may be benefi cial to seek professional help via your local therapist, medical doctor or emergency room. If stress has moved on to causing physical and mental health ailments, you


• Creating a routine to manage your daily tasks and needs


• Engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes, 3-5 days per week


• Utilizing healthy social supports


• Knowing when to say no, understanding that you are just as important as everyone else


• Taking breaks at work as needed


• Taking regular inventory of your well-being


• Intuitively eating colorful foods


• Drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily


• Practicing regular relaxation daily; meditation, progressive muscle relaxation


Being stressed, doesn’t have to be so stressful! Remember, stress can be a GOOD thing. In fact, we need it in our lives in order to function, meet milestones and keep ourselves safe. If you enjoyed the bits of this article, join me in a two-part virtual work- shop through Wilcox Wellness LLC, entitled, “Take Back Your Health during COVID-19,” helping you take a break from the stress and anxiety during this diffi cult time. Space is limited. Intro rate: $115 total, & you get to virtually bring a friend for free! Please contact help@wilcoxwellness.com to enroll!


Erica Wilcox is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certifi ed EMDR Therapist who dedicates her work to holisti- cally helping individuals and groups heal from stress and


trauma. She is the Founder and Director of Wilcox Wellness Center for Personal Growth, a private and professional coun- seling practice located in Southington, CT. Wilcox Wellness provides confi dential and compassionate individual, group, family and couple’s counseling for children, teens and adults in addition to state of the art creative therapies such as Equine assisted therapy, Art Therapy, Biofeedback and Wellness based workshops. Subscribe for practice updates and journal prompts at wilcoxwellness.com. Contact by phone 860.266.6098. help@wilcoxwellness.com. See ad on page 16.


www.NaturalNutmeg.com 13


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