by Joe Borders,
Therapist in Roseville, Ca

More on the effects of stress

I found this video on youtube the other day and thought it might be a good addition to some of the videos I have posted on stress. Chronic stress effects us in many negative ways. Stress essentially turns on the brain’s fight or flight response and the body cannot maintain that state of alertness for long periods of time. I like to compare it to revving your car engine at a stop light. Doing so can give you a burst of force when you’re ready to go, but if you rev your engine for too long you’ll burn out your engine.

Therapy can help with chronic stress through promoting mindfulness, exercise, and self care. Counseling can also be a place to unwind, unpack everything that has happened to you over the week and figure out what you want to do with it. Your therapist can help you to learn to recognize the difference between healthy and unhealthy stress and find better ways to cope. We all experience stress, but when stress becomes something that you feel physically taking a toll on you, it’s usually time to take a look at what you’re doing and consider making some changes.

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