If you’re constantly stressed or get stressed easily, your stress response may be overly engaged. Here’s how to find relief.
If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I always so stressed?” you’re not alone. Stress is a natural and necessary part of life. It’s a survival mechanism left over from the days when our ancestors were facing tricky terrain and hungry predators.
But, more than 10 thousand years later, we still use the same hard wiring to warn us when something is amiss.
Your body doesn’t always know the difference between a real threat and a challenge. And when stress becomes chronic, you may feel overwhelmed all the time.
So, if you feel you’re stressed all the time and don’t even know why, it’s possible your stress response is activated. Self-care strategies can help you reset the system and better cope with stressors.
Stress is experienced when you face a stressful event and need to respond to it. The thing is that what may be a stressful event for you might not be for someone else. So, there’s no one-size-fits-all definition of a stressor or stressful event or a single cause of stress.
But research shows that when you feel a stressor is significantly greater than your ability to handle it (or when there are too many stressors at once), it can cause overwhelming distress and anxiety.
The stress response is associated with your
Once the threat has passed, your body engages the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as your rest-and-digest state, and you feel at ease again.
But if the threat doesn’t pass or you don’t have the resources to cope with it, your body may stay in a state of heightened arousal.
This chronic stress increases your
Reasons why you may currently find yourself stressed all the time and not know why may include one or a combination of these:
- unresolved trauma
- intergenerational or genetic trauma
- persistent exposure to microaggressions
- poverty, health inequity, and systemic racism
- family conflict or being in a toxic relationship
- low psychological safety at work
- chronic or unexpected health challenges
- changes in your sleep patterns
- financial challenges
- climate-related grief or stress
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- prolonged grief disorder
- undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- undiagnosed anxiety disorders
- small or no support system
This isn’t an all-inclusive list. Your personal circumstances and history are unique and could involve additional factors that could be activating your stress response.
Burnout often occurs when chronic stress isn’t addressed and uses up all your emotional, psychological, and physical reserves.
Here are some of the symptoms of stress versus burnout:
|aches and pains
|disinterest in sex
|lowered immune system
|lack of motivation
|inability to be productive
Some people may naturally experience stress more intensely. Other people may have a set tolerance to stressors and once that’s reached, stress may be more difficult to handle. It’s also possible that some of your habits may worsen your stress.
Mental health conditions
Anxiety disorders and PTSD are two conditions that may activate the fire alarm in your brain — the amygdala — more easily and make you feel you’re always stressed.
Other conditions, like complex trauma or personality disorders, can decrease your distress tolerance and make emotional regulation more challenging. Emotion dysregulation could lead to more difficulty handling everyday stressors.
There are short-term and long-term ways to cool down your nervous system if you feel you’re always stressed.
Try deep breathing
A 2019 systematic review found that diaphragmatic breathing (deep-belly breathing), can engage the parasympathetic nervous system, that rest-and-digest state discussed earlier.
If possible, try box breathing:
- inhale for four
- hold for four
- exhale for four
- hold for four
Try grounding exercises
Grounding exercises may help to bring you into the present moment (called mindfulness), away from worries about the past and future.
If possible, try to take a break from the stressor and self-soothe with:
- 1-minute mindfulness exercises
- gentle movement (tai chi or dance)
- outdoor time
- Talking with someone you trust
- body scan meditation
Consider relaxation activities
Rest is just as important as results. Relaxation may feel like a guilty pleasure, but it can help your body and mind return to a state of balance. If you can, try to pencil in time for regular self-care and relaxation techniques.
This can include:
- arts and crafts
- restorative yoga class
- listening to music you love
Try to maintain a balanced lifestyle
A balanced lifestyle can help to set you up for success.
If possible, try to:
- allow unstructured time in your schedule
- avoid stimulants, like caffeinated coffee
- consume a nutrient-dense, balanced diet
- get at least 8 hours of sleep each night
- reduce your alcohol intake
- set healthy boundaries, like taking on less work
- take your vacation time
- turn off social media
When to seek help
If your stress levels are interfering with your quality of life, you may find it helpful to work with a therapist. Someone who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you explore the root of your challenges and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) may help you build distress-tolerance skills.
If you feel stressed all the time, you might be dealing with chronic stress or burnout.
You may find it helpful to practice grounding activities, make supportive lifestyle changes, and carve out more time for your favorite relaxation activities. Working with a therapist could also help you explore the causes of your stress as well as a coping plan that works for you.
Ikiwa wewe ni daima alisisitiza au kupata alisisitiza kwa urahisi, majibu yako ya mkazo inaweza kuwa over-kujihusisha. Hapa ni jinsi ya kupata misaada. Ikiwa umewahi kufikiria, "Kwa nini sikuzote mimi huwa na mfadhaiko mwingi hivyo?" si wewe peke yako. Mfadhaiko ni sehemu ya kawaida na ya lazima ya maisha. Ni utaratibu wa kuishi uliobaki kutoka siku ambazo mababu zetu walikabili eneo gumu na wawindaji wenye njaa. Lakini zaidi ya miaka elfu kumi baadaye, bado tunatumia waya sawa za nguvu kutuhakikishia wakati kitu kinakosa. Mwili wako si daima kujua tofauti kati ya tishio halisi na changamoto. Na wakati mkazo unakuwa wa kudumu, huenda ukahisi umechanganyikiwa wakati wote. Kwa hiyo, ikiwa unahisi kuwa umeshuka moyo wakati wote na hujui hata kwa nini, inawezekana kwamba majibu yako ya mkazo yameanzishwa. Mkakati wa kujitunza unaweza kukusaidia kurekebisha mfumo na kukabiliana vizuri na mambo ya kusumbua. Mkazo ni uzoefu wakati wewe kukabiliana na tukio la mkazo na haja ya kujibu. Jambo ni kwamba kile ambacho huenda kikawa jambo lenye kusumbua kwako huenda kisiwe hivyo kwa mtu mwingine. Kwa hiyo, hakuna ufafanuzi wa ukubwa mmoja-unaofaa-wote wa mkazo au tukio la mkazo au sababu moja ya mkazo. Utafiti unaonyesha kwamba wakati mtu anahisi kuwa mkazo ni mkubwa kuliko uwezo wake wa kushughulikia (au wakati kuna mkazo mwingi kwa wakati mmoja), inaweza kusababisha shida kubwa na wasiwasi. "Kama hatari imepita, mwili wako unafanya kazi ya mfumo wa neva wa parasympathetic, unaojulikana pia kama ""kutoa pumziko na kumeng'enya"" na unahisi vizuri tena." Lakini ikiwa tisho hilo halipiti au huna rasilimali za kukabiliana nalo, mwili wako waweza kubaki katika hali ya msisimko mkubwa. "Kuna sababu nyingi za kuwa na wasiwasi wakati wa kulala, na sababu za kuwa na wasiwasi wakati wa kulala ni pamoja na: ""Madhara ya kiakili"" (Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa." Hali yako binafsi na historia yako ni ya kipekee na inaweza kuhusisha mambo mengine ambayo yanaweza kuamsha majibu yako ya mkazo. Mara nyingi uchovu hutokea wakati mkazo sugu haushughulikiwi na hutumia akiba yako yote ya kihisia-moyo, kisaikolojia, na kimwili. Miongoni mwa dalili za mkazo ni maumivu ya kihisia, kutokuwa na hamu ya ngono, mfumo wa kinga wa mwili kushuka, ukosefu wa motisha, na kutokuwa na uwezo wa kufanya kazi. Watu wengine wanaweza kuwa na uvumilivu wa kuweka kwa stressors na mara moja hiyo imefikiwa, mkazo unaweza kuwa vigumu zaidi kushughulikia. Pia inawezekana kwamba baadhi ya mazoea yako yanaweza kuzidisha mkazo wako. Matatizo ya wasiwasi na PTSD ni hali mbili ambazo zinaweza kuamsha kengele ya moto katika ubongo wako - amygdala - kwa urahisi zaidi na kukufanya uhisi kuwa umeshikwa na mkazo kila wakati. Hali nyingine, kama vile majeraha magumu au matatizo ya utu, zinaweza kupunguza uvumilivu wako wa shida na kufanya udhibiti wa hisia kuwa changamoto zaidi. Kusitawala hisia zaweza kusababisha ugumu zaidi wa kushughulikia mambo ya kila siku yenye kusumbua. Kuna njia za muda mfupi na za muda mrefu za kupoza mfumo wako wa neva ikiwa unahisi kuwa umeshikwa na mkazo daima. Kwa mfano, uchunguzi wa mwaka wa 2019 uligundua kwamba kupumua kwa diaphragmatic (kupumua kwa tumbo la ndani) kunaweza kuathiri mfumo wa neva wa parasympathetic, hali ya kupumzika na kumeng'enya iliyozungumziwa hapo awali. Jaribu kupumua kwa sanduku: pumua kwa 4 - shikilia kwa 4 - pumua kwa 4 - shikilia kwa 4 Jaribu mazoezi ya msingi Mazoezi ya msingi yanaweza kukusaidia kukuleta katika wakati wa sasa (unaoitwa ufahamu), mbali na wasiwasi juu ya zamani na siku zijazo. Ikiwa ni lazima, jaribu kupumzika na mazoezi ya 1 ya akili - harakati laini (tai chi au dansi) - wakati wa nje - kuzungumza na mtu unayemwamini - tafiti ya skani ya mwili - Fikiria shughuli za kupumzika. Kupumzika kunaweza kuonekana kama furaha ya hatia, lakini kunaweza kukusaidia mwili wako na akili kurudi katika hali ya usawaziko. Ikiwa unaweza, jaribu kuandika kwa wakati kwa ajili ya kujitunza kwa ukawaida na mbinu za kupumzika. Hii inaweza kujumuisha: - sanaa na ufundi - darasa la yoga ya kurudisha - kusikiliza muziki unaopenda Jaribu kudumisha mtindo wa maisha wenye usawa Mtindo wa maisha wenye usawa unaweza kukusaidia kufanikiwa. Ikiwa ni lazima, jaribu: kuruhusu wakati usio na utaratibu katika ratiba yako; kuepuka vichocheo, kama kahawa yenye kafeini; kula chakula chenye virutubisho vingi, kilichosawazishwa; kulala angalau masaa nane kila usiku; kupunguza unywaji wako wa pombe; kuweka mipaka ya afya, kama vile kufanya kazi kidogo; kuchukua likizo; kuzima mitandao ya kijamii; wakati wa kutafuta msaada; ikiwa viwango vyako vya mkazo vinahusisha ubora wa maisha. Tiba ya tabia ya utambuzi (CBT) inaweza kukusaidia kugundua chanzo cha changamoto zako, na tiba ya tabia ya dialectical (DBT) inaweza kukusaidia kujenga ujuzi wa kuvumilia shida. Ikiwa unahisi mkazo wakati wote, huenda ukawa na mkazo wa kudumu au uchovu. Unaweza kupata msaada kwa kufanya mazoezi ya mazoezi ya msingi, kufanya mabadiliko ya mtindo wa maisha ya msaada, na kuchonga muda zaidi kwa ajili ya shughuli zako favorite kupumzika. Kufanya kazi na mtaalamu wa matibabu inaweza pia kukusaidia kuchunguza sababu za mkazo wako na pia mpango wa kukabiliana na mkazo unaofaa kwako.