What is stress?
The Oxford dictionary defines stress as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” Stress can mean different things to different people. Typically, stress involves feeling overwhelmed or worrying excessively about something. In some cases, stress can be associated with emotional or mental strain. Stress may be short-lived, such as being stressed out about a test or a public speaking engagement, or it can last for months, such as the stress associated with financial hardship. In some cases, stress is associated with a specific stressor, and in other cases, you may not be able to tell exactly what is causing you to feel stressed. You may consider something stressful that somebody else does not and somebody else might consider something stressful that you do not. Many times stress is personal and private, but some people may choose to talk openly about their stress. The important thing to remember is that if stress builds up so much that it is impacting your everyday life, you may benefit from talking to a healthcare or behavioral health (psychologist, social worker, etc.) professional about your stress.