While it may be on the way out, COVID-19 is definitely still active and prevalent in our society today. While some are still wearing masks and getting the vaccine, the stresses that come from COVID are still a normal occurrence for many people.
Stress is normal, but too much stress can cause mental and physical effects that can impact how a person lives their day-to-day lives. Before we look into how you can deal with stress, let’s first take a look at how these issues can affect your normal life.
Negative Effects of Stress
There are a number of negative problems and issues that arise from dealing with too much stress, and many of these cause a ripple and lead to even more problems. For example, stress can lead to problems sleeping which can, in turn, cause problems such as fatigue, exhaustion, and more.
Along with sleeping problems and insomnia, some other effects that can be caused by abnormal amounts of stress include:
- Anxiety
- Chest pain
- Headache
- Change in sex drive
- Angry outburst
- Upset stomach
- Social withdrawal
These are just a few of the many problems you may struggle with. Okay, but how do you deal with this stress if you do notice a problem? Let’s take a look.
Dealing with Stress
While stress can be a common problem for many, it is vital to learn how to deal with these issues when they do crop up. If you don’t take the time to understand how to deal with these things in a positive way, it can only make the problems worse.
Negative Coping Mechanisms
Unfortunately, many people dealing with too much stress can rely on unhealthy coping mechanisms that only make the situation worse and exacerbate the main issue. Negative coping mechanisms can include things like:
- Depression
- Drugs and alcohol
- Aggressiveness
- Self-harm
While there are alcohol and drug rehabs, therapists, and more to help with these problems when they do arise, the best thing you can do is avoid them in the first place. To do that, let’s look at some positive coping mechanisms that you can implement to handle your stress and problems in a more productive way.
Positive Coping Mechanisms
While everyone’s positive coping mechanisms will differ person-to-person, a few things that you could try include:
- Stretching
- Listening to music
- Reading
Along with these, the most obvious positive ways to cope with stress (and more) are exercise. Exercise is one of the best ways to get your body and mind back into a positive state of equilibrium. Even simple things like walking around your neighborhood is a great way to get started. After some time, you can start to venture out of your comfort zone more by going to the gym, running, hiking, and more. You’ll be amazed at how impactful exercise will be for your overall mood and health.
These are just a few things that you can do to make your situation better. All this said, if you or a loved one is seriously struggling with stress, depression, anxiety, addiction, or another problem, it is vital to seek out professional help. COVID is a lot to deal with and it is normal to be stressed out but you don’t want it to affect your day-to-day life.