What is Stress?
While stress is most often thought of as a negative experience, stress is also simply our physiological, psychological, and emotional response to “very demanding circumstances.” Stress can be the result of being overworked at your job, juggling the day-to-day demands of being a stay-at-home parent, or balancing academic responsibilities with extracurricular activities. All of these activities can be rewarding and valued, but they can also be quite stressful. Trained mental health professionals (e.g., therapist, counselor, psychologist) can assist people with learning how to more effectively reduce and manage stress.
Common Symptoms of Stress
COGNITIVE
difficulties concentrating, focusing, memory impairment
EMOTIONAL
irritability, anger, anxiety
PHYSICAL
frequent headaches, loss of appetite, low energy and/or fatigue, muscle tension, body aches, digestive issues, difficulties with sleep
BEHAVIORAL
impulsivity, procrastination, increased substance use/abuse