3 Types of Stress and Strategies for Handling Them
If you're like many people, you may feel that some stress-relief techniques don't work for you as well as they do for others. There are reasons for this, which makes the effect of stress-reliefs themselves vary greatly from one person to another.
Often, certain techniques are ineffective for specific individuals. They might not fit their personality or the circumstances they are in. For example, while breathing techniques can effectively reduce stress, they might not be powerful enough to be the sole coping mechanism for someone dealing with stress from caregiving, chronic work-related stress, or any other type of chronic stress.
So many stress-reduction techniques are available, and choosing one that works for your personality and circumstances can sometimes be difficult. However, it is worthwhile to make the effort to find stress relievers that are effective for you. Your experience with stress can ultimately be altered by the work you put into experimenting with various techniques that are pertinent to your needs.
The following list can help you, regardless of whether you need to revamp your stress management strategy completely, add new techniques to your repertoire, or start from scratch. These methods for relieving stress are arranged according to different factors so that you can choose the most effective way to handle stress.
3 Types of Stress
1. Acute Stress
Acute stress causes momentary imbalance. It happens rapidly and unexpectedly, but it passes quickly. However, it requires a response and can be somewhat provoking. Examples include arguing with someone in your life or facing a test you're unprepared for.
Acute stress is the source of your physical stress. You can use rapid relaxation techniques to get rid of this feeling. Then, return to your day feeling less stressed. You can unwind and recuperate from acute stress more rapidly by engaging in the following stress-relieving exercises:
1.1. Breathing Exercises
These are excellent for acute stress because their effects are immediate.
1.2. Cognitive Reframing
Learn to reframe situations in your mind to manage your stress levels.
1.3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This technique allows you some downtime and regrouping, much like breathing exercises.
1.4. Mini-Meditation
Incorporate this short meditative technique into your breathing exercises for just five minutes to attain a state of calmness.
2. Chronic Stress
Chronic stress is a type of stress that typically occurs regularly. If left unaddressed, it can make you feel exhausted and wear you down. When someone is under constant stress, their body stays activated indefinitely and doesn't relax before the next wave of stress arrives.
Chronic stress can contribute to various health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, digestive issues, anxiety, depression, and other conditions. Consequently, it's critical to manage chronic stress effectively.
Dealing with this type of stress often requires a combination of approaches, including short-term stress relievers (similar to those used for acute stress) and long-term stress reduction habits that alleviate overall stress. Other crucial coping mechanisms include emotion-focused and solution-focused approaches.
Here are some long-term habits that can help you better manage the general stress you might feel from chronic pressures in your life:
2.1. Regular Exercise
Exercise is closely linked to stress management for several reasons.
2.2. Maintain a Healthy Diet
You can lower your stress levels by giving your body the energy it needs because your entire system will work more effectively.
2.3. Cultivate Supportive Relationships
Stress management requires a robust support network.
2.4. Regular Meditation Practice
Regular meditation helps you become more resilient to stress overall, even though short meditation is great for treating acute stress.
2.5. Listen to Music
Music can serve as a wonderful background for daily stress-relieving tasks.
3. Emotional Stress
Emotional stress can be more intense than other types of stress. For example, the pressure from complex emotional relationships tends to create a stronger physical reaction and greater distress than demanding work responsibilities. Therefore, effectively managing emotional stress is essential. Various techniques can help you manage emotional stress, express it, and develop adaptable coping mechanisms. Different strategies may work in different situations. Here are some emotional stress-management strategies:
- Journaling: You can try various journaling techniques, each with its own advantages.
- Talking to a Friend: Explore different types of social support that friends can provide.
- Listening to Music.
- Regular Meditation Practice: Meditation can help you stay focused on the present moment.
- Speaking to a Therapist.
Combating Burnout
Burnout results from long-term chronic stress caused by situations that make people feel unable to control their lives. Certain work conditions, such as increased demands, unclear expectations, lack of recognition for achievements, or heightened negative consequences when making mistakes, can increase the risk of feeling stressed.
When you experience burnout, it can be difficult to stay motivated to work and get what you need. Even chronic burnout may result from it. In addition to strategies that work well for chronic and emotional stress, the following techniques can help you recover from burnout or prevent it altogether:
1. Take Breaks
If you haven’t taken a vacation, consider it a valid reason to do so.
2. Bring Joy into Your Life
Laughing makes you feel better overall and makes your day happier.
3. Pursue Hobbies
Don’t wait until life settles down to engage in your hobbies.
4. Find More Enjoyment in Your Current Job
If your current job isn't fulfilling, it doesn’t mean you’ve lost everything. Learn how to make your work more satisfying.
5. Leverage Weekend Breaks
Learn how to allocate part of your workweek for breaks to reduce stress.