Apr 14, 2014 4 min read

Like it or not, stress is a part of life for most. When our demands exceed our resources, stress can affect us in harmful ways. Under these circumstances, our bodies may react to stress by triggering the “flight or fight” reaction, a deeply rooted survival mechanism tied to our sympathetic nervous system that kicks in to protect us whenever we encounter a perceived threat. While the “flight or fight” reaction serves us well in real emergencies, it is not the best way to respond to routine types of stress involving conflicts in work and family life.

When an individual continues to respond to routine types of stress as threatening, harmful effects can occur that can, in some cases, result in negative health outcomes.

It is for this reason and others that much attention has been paid to the importance of reducing and managing unavoidable stress.

Several methods have been proposed to help us prevent and manage stress well:

• Relaxation Training: The relaxation response is the opposite of the stress response. Learning how to induce a relaxation response to stress can significantly improve our relationship with stress.

• Exercise: Regular exercise, approved by your medical provider, can have a positive effect on your mood as well as your physical health. As such, the benefits from exercise can serve as a buffer to stress.

• Good Nutrition and Adequate Sleep: It is difficult to function well when not sleeping or eating well. Nutritious meals and adequate sleep can help reduce the harmful effects of stress by enabling you to build and maintain the resources necessary to manage stress well.

• Adopting an Assertive Communication Style: Communicating in an assertive fashion can help us manage stress well because effective communication tends to lead to less interpersonal conflicts and a heightened sense of self-esteem.

• Spirituality: Religious and/or spiritual involvement can help us manage stress well by enabling us to stay focused on the true meaning and purpose of our lives.

• Social Support: Handling stress alone can be difficult. Positive relationships can help us manage stress well because they offer opportunities for sharing and giving that remind us that we are not alone.

Stress is most likely to affect us in a harmful way we when perceive that the stress we experience is a threat, and that we do not have the resources necessary to handle the threat well. Because the harmful impact of stress involves our own perception, the best method for managing stress well may lie within us in the ways that we think and relate to stress. To a large extent how we think and interpret stress determines how stress may harm us.

If we tend toward interpreting life events in a negative way, we will be more likely to be negatively affected by routine types of stress. Individuals who handle stress well tend to engage in positive thinking about the stress they encounter, often assuming that they will do well in spite of hassles and conflicts. Managing and relating well to stress involves paying attention to what we tell ourselves, and challenging ourselves when we tend to assume the worst.

Last, it is important to keep in mind that when the spotlight on stress is only negative, it is easier for us to have negative reactions to routine stress that actually make the stress worse. Some types of routine stress may have the potential to inspire growth in people who have a positive mindset toward stress. Those who are able to see stress as a chance for growth and performance enhancement tend to be less negatively affected by stress. Thus, shifting our mindset about stress from only negative to including positive may be one of the best ways to buffer the potentially harmful effects of stress and preserve health.

For more information on this topic:

Crum, A. J., Salovey, P. & Achor, S. (2013). Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response. Journal of Personality Processes and Individual Differences. Vol 104 (4) 716-733.