Healthy Stress Coping Strategies

Stress is everywhere. You may have heard it’s a part of everyday life. That’s not a healthy view, but for many people, it’s reality. It’s likely that you’ll deal with some level of stress most days of your life. But what about the tough stress, the type that impacts your mental health and leaves you struggling with the ability to cope?

Data shared by OSHA states that about 65% of workers in the US say they have a significantly or somewhat significantly stressful job. They also report that workplace stress triggers 120,000 deaths each year.

Outside of the work environment, stress continues to have an impact on life. From meeting your budgetary goals to being worried about sending your children off to school, stress seems to be everywhere.

For some, that presence is so significant that it directly leads to physical and emotional demands, even causing mental health complications. Never ignore the physical and emotional stress you have. While you may not be able to remove the stressor, there are effective strategies for managing stress available.

Take Breaks from the Stressors

Sometimes, the best way to give your mind time to heal is to take a break from the stress you feel. Depending on the source, you may wish to consider:

• Removing yourself from close relationships with people who are a toxic stressor in your life.
• Take time away from social media, TV, and political frustrations if they fuel your stress.
• Find a way to take a short time away from responsibilities that are causing you consistent stress, such as the work environment.

When you step away from that stress-causing problem for at least a short time, your brain can work through it. That directly leads to improving neural connections and stimulates a solution-based outlook rather than just trying to survive.

Talk About Your Stress

Choose to talk about your stress to someone who does not have an opinion about you or your lifestyle. Choose a knowledgeable and supportive person who is willing to tell you when you’re wrong.

Connect with others who share the same type of stress you do. For those battling substance use disorder or mental health challenges, a local group therapy program could help.

Seek out community-based or faith-based organizations that you feel comfortable with for help and guidance.

Meet with a therapist who can help you work through the underlying complications you feel.

Talking to others allows you to work through the stressors and what’s behind them. You don’t need someone to tell you what to do, but instead to help you navigate the choices you have.

Give Your Body a Stress-Busting Diet

Providing your body with the nutrition it needs to heal is another coping strategy for stress. Eat fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It’s critical to reduce the stress-building foods in your diet. Foods like refined sugars, carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats contribute to inflammation. Work with a dietitian to alter your diet in other ways.

How to Deal with Stress from Substance Use Disorder

Addiction fuels stress. Stress can lead to addiction. No matter which came first, dealing with both at the same time can help you restore balance and health to your life. Focus on these coping strategies for stress:

• Get into treatment. Drug and alcohol addiction treatment is a powerful tool for managing stress. You’re working towards a healthy solution, and while hard, that’s going to relieve some stress.
• Learn to manage triggers. Addiction triggers are people, places, behaviors, and things that remind you of using substances or create intense stress for you, often driving you to want to use those substances again.
• Find and build a mentor relationship. Stress-fueled addiction is best treated by a supportive family, a group of friends, or a mentor at a local treatment center.
• Recognize addiction dependency. Some people feel intense stress and display mood swings due to not having access to the substance for even a short amount of time. If this is happening to you, and you cannot find relief from stress without using that substance, it’s time to think about addiction and detox treatment.
• Develop core skills for stress relief. This could include meditation, deep breathing, visualization strategies, and yoga. You’ll learn about those strategies in addiction treatment programs.

Let Victory Addiction Recovery Center Help You

Victims battling substance use disorder will face intensifying stress until they get help. At Victory Addiction Recovery Center in Lafayette, LA, we recognize the intensity of your challenges, respect your desire to change, and provide the tools you need to work toward healing. Contact us today to learn more about how addiction recovery can help you.