Sitting at the intersection of trends, service, and evidence-based journalism, Well+Good works to inform, empower, and educate communities and individuals on the many ways day-to-day choices impact their ability to live well.
The team believes that wellness and health should be attainable for all and works to challenge the systems and barriers that prevent this from becoming a reality for many.
In this article, I’m sharing the 10 best Well+Good articles on stress management, along with my favorite quotes.
1. “Why Am I Stressed, Not Happy?”
Just thinking about giving a big presentation at work can leave your palms sweaty and your stomach in knots. …
But what if you’re having similar feelings when you’re about to graduate, get married, or reunite with friends you haven’t seen in a while?
These are generally thought of as happy moments, but you find that nerves and anxious thoughts are taking over instead. If being stressed over something like this is, well, stressing you out, know that you’re not alone. This reaction is totally normal. Here’s why.
Click here to read the article “Why Am I Stressed, Not Happy? | Well+Good”.
2. “Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn Are all Stress Responses—Here’s What Psychologists Say Each Means”
Let’s say that you’re in a work meeting and one of your coworkers says something that makes you highly uncomfortable.
You go over your options for how to respond: You could interject and risk having an altercation, leave the meeting, say nothing, or do something to feel like part of the in-group.
Each of these respective behaviors reflects one of the four common stress responses, fight, flight, freeze, and fawn.
Click here to read the article “Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn Are all Stress Responses—Here’s What Psychologists Say Each Means | Well+Good”.
3. “6 stress myths, according to mental health experts”
The whole stress-is-bad mentality is a bit too simplistic and not entirely accurate of the role (good and bad) that stress plays in our lives. Need proof?
Here, mental health exerts share the six most common stress myths they hear on a regular basis—including, yes, that stress is bad.
Click here to read the article “6 stress myths, according to mental health experts | Well+Good”.
4. “7 Physical Ways To Relieve Stress and Find a Sense of Calm”
Because the emotional and physical elements of our being are inextricably intertwined, it’s possible to practice soothing self care and relieve mental stress through physical means.
When our bodies are well cared for, we often feel more peaceful and resilient in our minds, and more balanced emotionally.
Click here to read the article “7 Physical Ways To Relieve Stress and Find a Sense of Calm | Well+Good”.
5. “Stress and Diet: How the Former Affects the Latter”
Stress has a remarkable impact on your nervous system, especially when it comes to your relationship with food.
From emotional eating to appetite changes, stress and diet are intertwined, and the form can significantly alter the latter.
Click here to read the article “Stress and Diet: How the Former Affects the Latter | Well+Good”.
6. “How To Reboot Your Brain After a Year of Stress”
“Being in a stress state over a long period of time starts putting pressure on the nervous system, because basically stress hijacks your critical thinking and puts you into reactionary thinking—fight or flight,” says Patrick K. Porter, PhD, neuroscientist, author, and creator of BrainTap.
“I call it ‘survivor brain,’ and we want to be in the ‘thriving brain.’” After a year a chronic stress, what your brain needs is a reboot of sorts.
Click here to read the article “How To Reboot Your Brain After a Year of Stress | Well+Good”.
7. “The Stress Cognition Connection, and How To Mitigate It”
Most of us assume that our brains will stay pretty healthy until relatively late in life.
But our lifestyles can make a major difference. In particular, chronic stress can lead to lower cognitive function—no matter our age.
Click here to read the article “The Stress Cognition Connection, and How To Mitigate It”.
8. “How Introverts and Extroverts Handle Stress, Then Relieve It”
Specific facets of someone’s personality can shine a light on how they might react to stressful situations.
For instance, a Leo zodiac sign and an Aquarius might have completely different stress responses.
There are other personality frameworks for deciphering how someone handles stress, too, like introverts versus extroverts.
Click here to read the article “How Introverts and Extroverts Handle Stress, Then Relieve It | Well+Good”.
9. “What Are Stress Dreams? Sleep Experts Explain”
(Sometimes), you may wake up wondering “Wow, where the hell did that come from?” or even wishing to yourself, “Why don’t I dream?”
Well, in a sickly comforting kind of way, you may be happy to know that a number of common stress dreams are haunting the REM time of many.
Click here to read the article “What Are Stress Dreams? Sleep Experts Explain | Well+Good”.
10. “5 Stress-Reducing Tips To Copy From the Longest-Living People in the World”
The experience of stress can curb your longevity basically just adds insult to injury.
What you can do, though, is take some pointers from the Blue Zones—geographic regions including Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Ikaria, Greece, which are home to some of the longest-living and healthiest populations of people in the world.
Folks who live in these spots definitely have some longevity-boosting and stress-reducing activities and tips you can mimic.
Click here to read the article “5 Stress-Reducing Tips To Copy From the Longest-Living People in the World | Well+Good”.
Complement this list of best stress management articles from Well and Good with Mindfulness for Stress Management: 50 Ways to Improve Your Mood and Cultivate Calmness by Dr. Robert Schachter and then revisit Well and Good articles on meditation and why you should read Mindful America by Jeff Wilson.
