There are many moments in life that are fulfilling. Graduation, buying a first home, getting married, first kid being born, and first grandchild being born. All these moments are memorable and rewarding, but that’s not the full story.
It’s the moments in between that are often stressful. Financial problems, social anxiety, and parental pressure are a few factors that can cause serious stress on someone.
It’s also hard to ignore what’s happening in the world. The trade war between Canada and the United States, wars happening in the Middle East and in Ukraine, Canada’s housing crisis, and too many more to keep count of.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the most common sources of stress come from physical environments around you, family and relationships, work, and major life changes.
Department head of psychology at Queen’s University, Dr. Kate Harkness, said the way people live also contributes to stress levels.
“The most common lifestyle factors are poor sleep, poor nutrition, excessive social media use, and lack of physical activity, which can make it more difficult to cope with stress,” Harkness said in an email interview.
According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, some of the cognitive signs of feeling stressed are difficulty concentrating, memory issues, constant worrying, and difficulty making decisions.
Some of the emotional symptoms are being in a sad mood, feeling hopeless, helpless, anxious, depressed, and having difficulty relaxing. The physical symptoms are headaches, feeling nauseous, having an elevated heart rate, and being fatigued.
Harkness said feeling stressed for a short or long period is connected to many different medical conditions.
“Both severe stress and chronic mild stress have been linked to a wide range of health problems, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, neuroendocrine disorders, auto-immune disorders, obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers,” she said.
“Further, stress is a strong risk factor for most forms of psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia,” Harkness said.
Even though stress is linked to a lot of medical conditions, and that thought itself can lead to more stress, it is important to note that there are ways to alleviate stress and limit the risk of future medical problems.
Harkness said there are a few different ways anyone can alleviate stress.
“Keep a regular routine: eat, sleep, get up, et cetera, at consistent times each day, and try to regularly get the recommended number of hours of sleep,” she said.
“Eat a healthy diet that adheres to the Canadian Food Guide recommendations because food is crucial to helping the brain cope with stress,” Harkness said.
“Get regular physical activity: this can include walking/hiking or more vigorous activity. Even better if this activity is outside, and even better if it includes other people,” she said.
“Limit screen time and particularly ‘doom-scrolling’. Replace social media time with other activities that involve actively engaging with the world and other people,” Harkness said.
This month is National Stress Awareness Month, a time to put importance on your health and take action to further reduce the risks of potential medical conditions.
Humber Polytechnic students who need someone to talk to about dealing with stress be sure to visit the Student Wellness & Accessibility Centre at the North campus.
