Is Stress Normal And When Should I Get Help?
Yes, although unpleasant at times, stress is a normal and inevitable part of life. In fact, small amounts and certain types of stress can be beneficial as they help us stay motivated and focused on our goals and responsibilities.
However, when stress becomes excessive and prolonged, it can have negative effects on our physical and mental health.
We're going to explain when stress is a problem, what causes it, and how we can help you manage it at our Halifax clinic.
When our stressors are too intense or too numerous, it starts to wear us down and can result in sleep issues, irritability, difficulty concentrating, increased frequency of illnesses, changes in our mood or behaviour, and physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and gastrointestinal issues.
So, while some stress is inevitable, effectively managing it is essential.
For assistance with managing stress, we welcome you to book an appointment with our Halifax psychologists, or complete the form at the bottom of this page.
We offer both in-person and virtual therapy.
We custom match every client with a therapist who best suited for your needs and goals in counselling.
How Is Stress Related To Human Evolution?
The lives of our distant ancestors (let's say, 100,000 years ago), were very (very) difficult. As hunter-gatherers, life was dangerous, survival was a day-t0-day challenge, and mortal threats from other humans, animals, and the environment were constant.
They had to continuously move in search of food and water, had to protect themselves from other tribes, and medical care was, of course, non-existent. As such, even minor injuries or illnesses could be life-threatening.
Being finely tuned to noticing dangers in the environment was an absolutely essential skill....those who didn't have it quite simply did not survive and did not pass along these characteristics to future generations. As such, everyone alive today has descended from a long line of ancestors who were experts at detecting very real dangers and threats in their environments.
These dangerous environments triggered a physiological response known as the "fight, flight, or freeze" response, which prepared our distant ancestors to either confront threats, flee, or hide from them. These responses were activated by the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which would have prepared their bodies to deal with the threats.
This fight or flight response helped early humans survive in brutal and dangerous environments, and allowed them to live just long enough to have families and pass along these "survival genes"...which ultimately resulted in us existing today.
They had to continuously move in search of food and water, had to protect themselves from other tribes, and medical care was, of course, non-existent. As such, even minor injuries or illnesses could be life-threatening.
Being finely tuned to noticing dangers in the environment was an absolutely essential skill....those who didn't have it quite simply did not survive and did not pass along these characteristics to future generations. As such, everyone alive today has descended from a long line of ancestors who were experts at detecting very real dangers and threats in their environments.
These dangerous environments triggered a physiological response known as the "fight, flight, or freeze" response, which prepared our distant ancestors to either confront threats, flee, or hide from them. These responses were activated by the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which would have prepared their bodies to deal with the threats.
This fight or flight response helped early humans survive in brutal and dangerous environments, and allowed them to live just long enough to have families and pass along these "survival genes"...which ultimately resulted in us existing today.
If Stress Evolved To Help Us, Why Is It So Harmful Today?
Thankfully, few us us today experience the same types of threats to our survival as our distant ancestors did. Food, shelter, and water are abundant in comparison, and modern medicine has dramatically extended our lives and can usually heal us when are injured or become ill.
However, our "modern brains" evolved over hundreds of thousands of genuinely dangerous years, not in the objectively safer and more comfortable past few hundred years.
So, although you may be 20, 30, or 40 years old, your brain more or less operates as it did a few hundred thousand years ago! It has constant doubts that you are safe, wants to protect you, and frantically scans your environment for potential dangers that it assumes are everywhere.
So, in the absence of true physical dangers and threats to our very survival, it will find other perceived threats in our modern lives and treat them with the same fight, flight, or freeze response. The saying "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" may be fitting.
Our lives today often involve juggling multiple responsibilities such as work, family, and personal obligations. Additionally, many modern-day stressors, such as financial stress, relationship stress, and career-related stress, can be ongoing and may not have easy fixes. This can lead to prolonged exposure to stress hormones like cortisol, which can have harmful effects on our physical and mental health. Counterproductively, our brain's attempt to physically protect us and keep us alive...can actually result in worse health and an earlier death!
To avoid this, we must learn how to better manage our stressors.
However, our "modern brains" evolved over hundreds of thousands of genuinely dangerous years, not in the objectively safer and more comfortable past few hundred years.
So, although you may be 20, 30, or 40 years old, your brain more or less operates as it did a few hundred thousand years ago! It has constant doubts that you are safe, wants to protect you, and frantically scans your environment for potential dangers that it assumes are everywhere.
So, in the absence of true physical dangers and threats to our very survival, it will find other perceived threats in our modern lives and treat them with the same fight, flight, or freeze response. The saying "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" may be fitting.
Our lives today often involve juggling multiple responsibilities such as work, family, and personal obligations. Additionally, many modern-day stressors, such as financial stress, relationship stress, and career-related stress, can be ongoing and may not have easy fixes. This can lead to prolonged exposure to stress hormones like cortisol, which can have harmful effects on our physical and mental health. Counterproductively, our brain's attempt to physically protect us and keep us alive...can actually result in worse health and an earlier death!
To avoid this, we must learn how to better manage our stressors.
What Are The Signs Of Poor Stress Management?
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Cognitive Signs
The cognitive signs of experiencing too much stress or not managing it well include difficulties with concentration, memory problems, racing thoughts, difficulty making decisions, and persistent worry or rumination. Poor stress management can also cause fatigue, making it harder to think clearly and focus on tasks. Additionally, if you are have unhealthy levels of stress in your life, you may find it difficult to relax and may often feel irritable or on edge. Physical Signs The physical signs of too much stress generally include increased heart rate, high blood pressure, headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue. Sleep problems such as insomnia or difficulty falling asleep are also common, as well as gastrointestinal issues like stomach aches, constipation, or diarrhea. People experiencing too much stress are more prone to illness, as prolonged stress can weaken the immune system. |
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Emotional Signs
Emotional signs of being overstressed include feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or irritable. If you are under excessive stress you may find it difficult to regulate your emotions and may experience frequent mood swings. You may also feel a sense of hopelessness or helplessness, feel "defeated", and feel detached from others. If your stress levels are not managed well, you are more likely to become depressed and may find your self experiencing increased sadness and loss of motivation.
Social Signs
Social signs include withdrawing from social activities, isolating yourself from friends and family, and experiencing difficulty in communications with others. You may also experience strained relationships due to increased irritability and difficulty managing emotions around others. This can result in arguments, communication difficulties, and strained connections with friends and family members.
Emotional signs of being overstressed include feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or irritable. If you are under excessive stress you may find it difficult to regulate your emotions and may experience frequent mood swings. You may also feel a sense of hopelessness or helplessness, feel "defeated", and feel detached from others. If your stress levels are not managed well, you are more likely to become depressed and may find your self experiencing increased sadness and loss of motivation.
Social Signs
Social signs include withdrawing from social activities, isolating yourself from friends and family, and experiencing difficulty in communications with others. You may also experience strained relationships due to increased irritability and difficulty managing emotions around others. This can result in arguments, communication difficulties, and strained connections with friends and family members.
Measure Your Stress - Perceived Stress Scale
1) In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
2) In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
3) In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and “stressed”?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
4) In the last month, how often have you doubted your ability to handle your personal problems?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
5) In the last month, how often have you felt that things were not going your way?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
6) In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope with all the things that you had to do?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
7) In the last month, how often have you been unable to control irritations in your life?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
8) In the last month, how often have you felt that you were not on top of things?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
9) In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things that were outside of your control?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
10) In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?
0 = Never 1 = Almost Never 2 = Sometimes 3 = Fairly Often 4 = Very Often
TOTALS:
0 - 13.............Low Stress
14 - 26..........Moderate Stress
27 - 40..........High Stress
0 - 13.............Low Stress
14 - 26..........Moderate Stress
27 - 40..........High Stress
How Can Our Psychologists Help With Stress Management?
Our psychologists and counsellors are very experienced in working with clients who have too much stress in their lives or those who can benefit from learning effective stress management skills and techniques.
Interventions may focus on identifying and changing unhealthy thought patterns, modifying behaviours that contribute to excess stress, and identifying practical changes you can make to reduce the number of stressors in your life .
We can also teach you relaxation techniques such as mindfulness which can help reduce stress and provide support and guidance on how to prioritize and manage tasks and life responsibilities.
Interventions may focus on identifying and changing unhealthy thought patterns, modifying behaviours that contribute to excess stress, and identifying practical changes you can make to reduce the number of stressors in your life .
We can also teach you relaxation techniques such as mindfulness which can help reduce stress and provide support and guidance on how to prioritize and manage tasks and life responsibilities.
Let's Get Started.
We are conveniently located in Halifax, Nova Scotia and have many clients from the areas of Bedford, Sackville, Clayton Park, and Dartmouth.
We provide in-person and online therapy to all of Nova Scotia and also offer virtual services to clients in New Brunswick.
Please complete our short request form below and we will be in touch asap with appointment options.
Confidential Contact - Counselling / Therapy
Green Leaf Psychological - Halifax, Nova Scotia
IMPORTANT
After you submit the form, we will definitely get back to you. However, email is often filtered into junk mail folders by mistake.
To prevent this from happening, please add [email protected] to your list of safe contacts...or make sure to check your spam folder if you don't see a reply in your inbox within 24 hours.
Thanks!
After you submit the form, we will definitely get back to you. However, email is often filtered into junk mail folders by mistake.
To prevent this from happening, please add [email protected] to your list of safe contacts...or make sure to check your spam folder if you don't see a reply in your inbox within 24 hours.
Thanks!
Green Leaf Psychological Services, Inc.