Did you know that April is National Stress Awareness Month?
One-third of Americans are living with extreme stress and nearly half of Americans (48%) believe that their stress has increased over the past five years. Those figures are shocking! Many of us have just become so accustomed to living in a stressed and anxious state that the symptoms of stress can feel common and insignificant.
Physical symptoms of stress include appetite/weight changes, physical pain, feelings of being "under the weather." Mental symptoms include ancient, addictive behaviors, and negative mood.
Now that you are aware of how to recognize stress, let's discuss how to cope with it.
Studies show that four in ten Americans (43%) say they overeat or eat unhealthy foods to manage stress, while one-third (36%) skipped a meal in the last month because of stress. Significant numbers of Americans report watching TV for more than two hours a day (43%) and playing video games or surfing the Internet (39%) as a way to manage stress. Healthy behaviors used to manage stress included: listening to music (54%); reading (52%); exercising or walking (50%); spending time with family and friends (40%); and praying (34%).
Always feel empowered to reach out to someone you trust, or a professional! There is so much good that comes from knowing you do not walk this path alone!
