什么是压力管理?

戴着耳机的无压力微笑男人

Now more than ever, stress can feel like an ever-present part of life.

不管你是在办公室工作, 在家或在工厂, or manage a household 和 care for energetic kids, every week can bring many stressful situations. Particular stressors can affect some groups more than others. And that’s to say nothing of the ongoing p和emic. 新型冠状病毒肺炎, its economic impact 和 the social isolation of lockdowns took a toll on many Americans’ mental health.

Let’s talk about some of the sources of stress 和 what you can do to manage stress.

But first, a basic question you may be asking:

压力真的是个问题吗?

Yes, especially if your “stressed out” feeling remains constant, or chronic. Chronic stress can affect your physical 和 mental health. It can weaken your immune system 和 cause physical symptoms too.

Talking about stress 和 its impact on our lives is still somewhat taboo. That’s especially true for some groups: Among Black communities, 例如, acknowledging stress may be viewed as inconsistent with a strong 工作 ethic. Many in the Black community may not feel as though they have the luxury to worry about stress management.

压力的常见原因

当人们说出导致他们压力的原因时, many answers have remained near the top of the list for years.

Commonly mentioned causes of stress include:

钱
工作
健康问题
family responsibilities (caregiving can be particularly stressful)

这些答案跨越了几代人和不同的群体. But certain stressors, such as discrimination, affect some groups more than others. 更糟的是, many members of affected communities may not feel as though they can afford to manage stress, lacking the privilege of available time or income that others may be able to devote to de-stressing.

It’s also worth making another observation about what causes stress, whether that cause is universal or specific to some groups. All too often, stress results from factors out of our control.

That brings us to a recent cause of stress, for everyone.

新型冠状病毒肺炎的持续影响

No question, 2020 had a devastating impact, on many fronts. But one of the lagging effects that has slowly revealed itself? The ongoing p和emic’s profound impact on the nation’s mental health.

甚至在流感大流行之前，美国人就已经知道.S. were already among the most stressed populations in the world. 新型冠状病毒肺炎和 the social isolation of lockdowns impacted the minds of many.

最近的一项2022年的研究发现，美国人.S. have reported higher levels of loneliness, burnout, depression 和 sleep problems. 在美国大约有50%的人.S. reported feelings of loneliness with highest rates in young adults. Many have turned to unhealthy ways to cope with stress, 比如暴饮暴食, 不停地盯着屏幕, 过度饮酒或滥用药物.

我们为什么要控制压力呢?

长期的压力对你有害. So, it makes sense that lowering your stress will lower your risk for the harmful physical 和 mental health effects of stress. A constant state of stress can sap your creativity, productivity 和 motivation. You want to manage stress so you can live your best life.

压力管理的关键

第一步是意识. 暂时“离开你自己”. Objectively ask yourself, “Is my stress level too high?“如果有，是什么让我感到压力??

这个过程本身可能会有所帮助. Once you identify your stressors, you can ask yourself, “Is this a factor out of my control?“有时, the acknowledgement that something is not in your control will give you a helpful (和 healthful) perspective. It may not be worth fretting over something you can’t change.

That’s not to say that you can’t take steps to manage stress. In fact, here’s a h和y list of stress-busters: