Short Term Stress

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What is Short Term Stress?

Short-term stress is the most common type of stress. It lasts for brief periods. In small amounts, short-term stress is harmless. It affects everyone differently.

Things that can cause short term stress include arguments with friends and loved ones, having to wait in traffic, giving a public speech, having a baby, getting married, and a short term illness. It’s pretty typical for people to experience short term stress at different points in their lives.

What are the Symptoms of Short Term Stress?

The symptoms of short term stress include:

  • Headache
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Butterflies in the stomach
  • Muscle tension
  • Muscle pain
  • Fatigue
  • Spike in blood pressure
  • Upset stomach
  • Shortness of breath

As stated above, short term stress isn’t harmful to the body. But if short term stress turns into long-term, stress can cause some real health issues. These health issues include cardiovascular problems.

The Effects of Short Term Stress

Stress is a constant in life and often unavoidable. The effects of the short term vary from person to person. It can be positive and keep a person focused. It can also give one a sense of accomplishment when a task is completed. Short-term stress can also motivate and push one to finish a job.

The only time stress becomes a problem is when it develops into the long term. Long-term stress can cause heart attack, high blood pressure, and even obesity.

The positive effects of short term stress include:

  • Increased focus
  • Increased motivation
  • A feeling of accomplishment

How to Relieve Short Term Stress

There are a variety of strategies and steps one can take to help relieve short term stress. Exercise is a way to reduce short term stress. Head to the gym or go for a walk in the park. Exercise helps release those endorphins for that overall good feeling. Writing in a journal. It can help relieve short term stress, too. It’s an excellent opportunity to get your feelings out. Expressing feelings on paper is an effective relief for short term stress. Write down the things that are bothering you.

Yoga, meditation, and guided imagery are effective ways to relieve short-term stress. You can escape and do things like taking a vacation with guided imagery. It’s a great way to relax.

Doing something that you enjoy is also a good reliever for short term stress. Like to paint? Pick up a paintbrush. Like to walk? Head for the nearest park. Enjoy baking? Bake some yummy brownies. Doing something you enjoy helps take your mind off your problems.

Summary

Moderation goes a long way when it comes to stress. A little bit of stress can be good for you, and a lot of it can be bad for you. Medication can help reduce stress levels, but it’s always better to remove the stressor from your life or to develop healthy strategies for coping with it than to rely on medication for it.

Many people have been successful in dealing with stress by implementing healthy strategies for coping. So, if you are feeling stressed out, put your thinking cap on and come up with a few effective healthy strategies to cope with short-term stress.

If you cannot think of any effective strategies for coping with short-term stress, consider joining a self-help group. Sometimes, two heads are better than one.

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