By: Teneasha Washington
Everyone experiences stress at some point in their lives. Stress has multiple benefits including providing people with the skills necessary to deal with potentially life-threatening issues; however, stress can be detrimental by decreasing an individual’s quality of life if it hinders everyday function. Stress can be induced by many situations creating multiple side effects such as:
- Crying
- Drug use
- Feelings of guilt
- Shock
- Headaches
- Reduced activity
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety
- Feelings of sadness
Ways to Cope with Stress
Although stress can be debilitating at times, there are multiple ways of coping. Such as:
- Make yourself a priority as much as possible by eating healthy meals, exercising regularly, get enough sleep, and give yourself when necessary.
- Create your own social support system which allows you to talk openly about your feelings and problems. Potential support systems include a pastor, friend, parent, and or/counselor.
- Take breaks when necessary always knowing your limitations.