Recognizing and Managing Stress: Expert Tips for Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month. Dr. Liz Chamberlain, Licensed Psychologist at the CU Medicine Weight Management and Wellness Clinic and Director of Well-Being Programs at AHWC, shares tips on recognizing stress, its signs, when to seek help, and quick relief exercises to support well-being.

What Is Stress?

Stress is a normal reaction to everyday pressures (and a little stress is helpful in reaching goals), but can become unhealthy when it upsets your day-to-day functioning. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave.

Signs of Stress

Everyone experiences stress differently.  Sometimes, signs of stress can include:
•    Fatigue, tiredness, low energy
•    Brain fog/difficulty concentrating
•    Difficulty falling or staying asleep
•    Irritability, feeling agitated or on edge
•    Headache
•    Muscle tension, aches
•    Stomach or digestive problems
•    Frequent colds or illnesses
•    Skin issues
•    Increased or decreased eating behavior
•    Excess alcohol or substance use
•    Worry
•    Sadness

These symptoms can also be signs of other more serious issues. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about any of these symptoms to rule out any other conditions.

When to Seek Help

Everyone experiences stress, and sometimes that stress can feel overwhelming. You may be at risk for an anxiety disorder if it feels like you can’t manage the stress, and if the symptoms of your stress:

• Interfere with your everyday life.
• It causes you to avoid doing things.
• Seems to be always present.

If you are struggling to cope, or the symptoms of your stress or anxiety won’t go away, it may be time to talk to a professional. Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) and medication are the two main treatments for anxiety, and many people benefit from a combination of the two.

If you need immediate support, call 988, Colorado Crisis Services or the Real Help Hotline for CU Employees: (833) 533-CHAT

How to Manage Stress When it Comes

• Learn your personal early signals of stress before feeling overwhelmed. At the first sign of stress, practice a short grounding exercise. Here’s a video to try.
• Work on getting consistent sleep and movement on most days to help manage stress

Quick Stress Release 

Feeling tension, worry, fatigue? Try the 3x2x1 Practice

We often get caught up in the wandering mind, especially when we are worried or feel stressed. When you notice this, stop, and use your senses to describe what is around you using this short, easy practice:

• Name 3 things you see. (example: I see a green tree, I see snow falling, or I see a blue wall.)
• Name 2 things you hear. Sometimes closing your eyes helps. (example: I hear the fan running, I hear people talking nearby, or I hear cars driving, dogs barking, etc)
• Name 1 thing you physically feel (example: I feel cold air on my face, I feel a warm mug in my hands, or I feel the sun on my face).

Try these five-minute variations for quick stress release.  
Grounding Technique 5-4-3-2-1
Anxiety Relief 3x3x3

Try Practical Mindfulness 

You don’t have to meditate to practice mindfulness! Mindfulness is a qualitatively different way to pause and observe thoughts, feelings, and sensations. When we get curious and observe them, like a scientist, we get less caught up in them and can respond instead of react, especially when stressed. Practicing when we are not stressed helps our bodies remember to use the tools when stress comes.

Set aside as little as a minute each day to engage in a mindful practice. Pick one of the following and give it a try. 

DISHWASHING - When washing the dishes, notice and describe the temperature of the water, the scent of the soap, and the feel of the dish before and after you wash it. You could do the same practice in the shower.

BREATH - Check in with your body and mind by closing your eyes and watching the breath come and go.

MOVEMENT - Try a yoga stretch or pose (or more than one) and observe how your body feels. How is it different from one day to the next? What is more challenging today? What is easier?

Additional Resources About Stress:
6 things researchers want you to know about stress
How Stress Affects Your Health 
Stress Effects on the Body
I'm So Stressed Out Fact Sheet