Everyday Health is a publication committed to supporting you on your journey to a healthy life.
Its team includes accredited health journalists, board-certified physicians, and other health professionals who adhere to the highest standards of accuracy, objectivity, and balance in their work.
They create content based on the latest evidence-based health information, as well as real-world patient and clinician experiences, to help inform you on how to take control of your health. That’s why I’ve compiled 10 of the best Everyday Health articles on stress management, along with my favorite quotes.
1. “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Stress and How to Manage It”
These days, it can sometimes seem as if “stress” is a synonym for “life.” Whether it’s the boss piling on yet another deadline or worrying about family health and finances, it’s all too easy to shift from chilled out to stressed out — that overwhelmed, slightly sweaty, breathless feeling that makes it hard to think and function effectively.
“Stress is becoming more and more a part of everyday life,” says Alka Gupta, MD, chief medical officer and cofounder of Bluerock Care in Washington, D.C. It’s likely that just checking the news on your phone can be enough to get your heart pounding — and not in a good way.
Click here to read the article “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Stress and How to Manage It”.
2. “What Causes Stress? Main Causes of Stress Explained”
What specifically causes or triggers stress can, of course, be different for everyone, says Alka Gupta, MD, the chief medical officer and the cofounder of Bluerock Care, a primary care facility for seniors in Washington, DC. “It’s really less about the so-called stressful event itself and more about your response, which arises from how you’re wired, what you’ve experienced in the past, and the strategies you’ve cultivated to cope with stressful situations,” she explains.
Still, certain causes of stress tend to be common for many people.
Click here to read the article “What Causes Stress? Main Causes of Stress Explained”.
3. “The Most Common Symptoms of Stress”
Most of us recognize stress when we feel it: that overwhelmed state of mind that can make it hard to think, perform, and even breathe. Yet despite these widespread symptoms, the signs of stress — and what causes them — can vary widely from person to person.
Click here to read the article “The Most Common Symptoms of Stress”.
4. “What’s Your Stress Personality?”
To not be so overwhelmed by stress, mental health expert Heidi Hanna, PhD, a member of the Everyday Health Wellness Advisory Board, helped Everyday Health come up with this test to help you identify the patterns you tend to follow when life’s challenges show up — and help you learn the stress management tools that best suit you.
Click here to read the article “What’s Your Stress Personality?”.
5. “How Stress Affects Your Body”
If you’ve ever felt stressed out (and who hasn’t?), you already know that being under pressure can affect your body, either by causing a headache, muscle tightness, or flutters in your chest; making you feel down in the dumps; or leaving you ravenous for chocolate or robbed of all appetite.
But these stress symptoms are merely the signals of the deeper impact that chronic stress can have on every organ and system in your body, from your nervous and circulatory systems to your digestive and immune systems.
Click here to read the article “How Stress Affects Your Body”.
6. “Can Stress Make You Sick?”
“Stress that lasts years or a long time is usually the worst kind of stress,” says Bert Uchino, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City who studies stress in aging populations.
If you’re in a job you hate or you’re a caregiver for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, for instance, says Dr. Uchino, you may suffer from high levels of chronic (or long-term) stress. That’s where your body “never receives a clear signal to return to normal.”
It’s this type of chronic stress that causes changes in the body that can do damage and contribute to disease in some cases, says Uchino.
Click here to read the article “Can Stress Make You Sick?”.
7. “7 Supplements That May Help Reduce Stress — and 1 to Avoid”
Strategies like a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and sleep, and mental health help are proven for relieving stress, but another tool to consider in your arsenal is dietary supplements.
While no supplement is a magic pill, some people say certain types can help lower anxiety levels, tame sleep troubles, ease depression symptoms, and more.
Click here to read the article “7 Supplements That May Help Reduce Stress — and 1 to Avoid”.
8. “10 Best Foods to Fight Stress”
There are many ways to manage and even reduce stress levels when you’re feeling tense. Food can be one of your biggest allies — or enemies. Food can make your stress levels go down or up, so it’s critical to pay attention to what you’re eating when you’re feeling frazzled.
Click here to read the article “10 Best Foods to Fight Stress”.
9. “8 Ways Mental Health Experts Prep for High-Stress Days”
Peta-Gaye Sandiford, a licensed mental health counselor at Empower Your Mind Therapy in New York City, agrees that even mental professionals (herself included) have to work on managing stress and keeping it from getting overwhelming on busy days. “There’s a lot that goes into ensuring that I’m always present and putting my best foot forward while meeting my other responsibilities,” she says.
Here are the stress-busters that Vermani, Sandiford, and others swear by to prep ahead of days they know the list of stressors may edge off the charts.
Click here to read the article “8 Ways Mental Health Experts Prep for High-Stress Days”.
10. “Stress Management 101: How to Cope Better and Find Relief”
“It’s important to understand that when it comes to stress and its impact on health, you may want to think about trying longer-term strategies and changes in lifestyle,” says Michelle Dossett, MD, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
A healthy lifestyle — eating well, getting high-quality sleep, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly — can buffer you against the wear and tear of stress, says Holly Schiff, PsyD, a clinical psychologist with Jewish Family Services of Greenwich in Connecticut.
These steps don’t eliminate the challenge, but they will ensure your strongest, calmest, most rational self shows up to meet whatever obstacle you’re facing.
Click here to read the article “Stress Management 101: How to Cope Better and Find Relief”.
Complement this list of best stress management articles from Everyday Health with Mindfulness for Stress Management: 50 Ways to Improve Your Mood and Cultivate Calmness by Dr. Robert Schachter and then revisit Everyday Health articles on meditation and why you should read Mindful America by Jeff Wilson.
