Taxes, work, family: how and why you need to manage your everyday stress

April is Stress Awareness Month, a perfect time to talk about ways you can manage your year-round physical, mental and emotional strain in order to avoid long-term health issues like heart disease and chronic anxiety.

According to Gallup's 2023 Global Emotions Report, nearly half of all Americans experience significant daily stress, one of the highest rates among high-income nations.

• Recognize your feelings. It may initially seem helpful to try to ignore that you're feeling stressed, but a good first step to addressing any problem is to simply acknowledge that something needs your attention.
• Maintain your physical health. Your body and mind work better with whole foods, regular exercise and consistent sleep. Rest and relaxation are always key when you feel tired or stressed out.
• Connect with others. Reach out to friends and family on a regular basis. Talk with them about how you're feeling and what you're going through.
• Take a break. If you're able to reduce the stressors themselves, do it.

Some stress can be positive in that it provides the energy to tackle big challenges. Too much stress, however, can create unnecessary hardship and challenge. If you are worried about the stress level of someone you love: watch out for negative changes in their behavior. Many people can become irritable or moody, withdraw from activities that used to give them pleasure, routinely express serious worries, complain more than usual about life, sleep too much or too little or eat too much or too little.

"Chronic stress can distract you from engaging in the things that matter most," said Sarah Briley, service line director for adult services at Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital. "Seeking therapy support can be the first step toward changing patterns, so you can seek a path toward the life that you truly wish to have."

Therapy can be very helpful and is essential if the problems continue or worsen. A licensed mental health professional specializes in helping people identify sources of concern and develop effective strategies to resolve them. You can also consider joining a therapeutic group to learn from others who may be struggling with similar issues.