Discover How to Manage Stress and Boost Your Well-Being

Feeling stressed? 😟 You’re not alone. Stress is considered one of the world’s largest health problems, leading to exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, and a weakened immune system, according to the National Library of Medicine. Fortunately, learning more about what stress is and how it presents in your body can go a long way in controlar el estrés and reducing its impact on your mind and body. 
  

What Is Stress? 

Stress is your body’s response to any demand or challenge. 🧠 It can be helpful in small doses, but too much stress can be harmful. There are three types of stress:

1. Acute Stress: Short-term stress from recent events or upcoming pressures.

2. Episodic Acute Stress: Frequent episodes of acute stress, often due to overcommitment or worry.

3. Chronic Stress: Long-term stress without relief, leading to serious health issues.

Entrenador Anita Steele details more about the biological origins of stress in this short video. Our sympathetic nervous system, often known as “fight or flight” mode, is where most of us live. Anita shares: “Once you’re in this state, you’re not healing, not digesting….back in the day that was triggered by being attacked, today it’s triggered by your boss yelling at you, or your spouse, or stressing over not completing your to-do list.” The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is all about healing and digesting: “When you’re in relaxed mode, you’re employing your full capacity.” Healing happens when your parasympathetic system is switched on.

 
Good vs Bad Stress

• Eustress: Positive stress that motivates and excites you.

• Distress: Negative stress that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and can lead to anxiety and depression.

Differentiating between good and bad stress can be difficult at first. Regardless of the type of stress, Coach Laura Gardner shares how “Stress does have its benefits, and we have to give our bodies time to process that and break down its byproducts (like cortisol).

 
Stress Perceptions

Everyone experiences stress differently, and changing your perspective can help. 🔍

Understanding how stress affects your physical and mental well-being is crucial. Even moderate stress triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response, releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Once the threat is gone, your body should return to normal through the relaxation response.

However, in cases of chronic stress, the relaxation response doesn’t occur often enough, and being in a near-constant state of fight-or-flight can cause irreparable damage to the body.

Entrenador Laurie Angress explains how your perception can go a long way in this short video. “The body doesn’t differentiate between good stress and bad stress…it releases the same stress hormones. It’s a matter of how we perceive it. If it’s exciting versus feeling nervous. Or if it’s energizing versus scary,” shares Laurie. “We need certain levels of good stress in our lives (to engage in competition, riding a rollercoaster, exercise, childbirth, are examples). It comes down to how your body responds and how you perceive the stress, so what you decide to do with it (the stress) has an impact on the emotional quality of it.” 

 
Dealing with Stress

Understanding your stress and how it affects you is the first course of action. Then, try these strategies:

• 🌟 Connect with top stress management TaskHuman coaches

• Observe your stressors without judgment.

• Engage in physical activity.

• Practice stress-reducing activities (connect to your breath, write out your thoughts, get outside, and set boundaries).

Entrenador Jamie Carroll‘s go-to methods for dealing with stress include: Taking a pause to meditate or acknowledge a small moment of gratitude, hiking or being outside in nature, and dancing as a way to shift your mood and change your energy.

 
Get Support Now!

Ready to manage your stress? Book a session with a TaskHuman coach today and start your journey to a calmer, more satisfying life.

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Updated March 2025