Manage Stress

Stress is your body’s reaction to the growing needs in your life. If you don’t manage stress, it can hurt your health.

How does stress affect your health?

If you’re stressed, your body feels like it’s on “high alert” all the time. High levels of stress over a long time can lead to serious health problems like:

  • Heart disease
  • Problems sleeping
  • Stomach problems
  • Depression
  • Obesity and weight gain
  • Trouble remembering things

Don't wait until stress hurts your health, relationships or quality of life. Learn how to manage stress. Start by spotting the stress in your life and where it’s coming from.

You can feel stress from many things including:

  • The pressures of work, family and other daily jobs
  • A sudden big change, like losing a job, divorce or illness
  • A major accident, war or a natural disaster, like a tornado or flood

How can you manage stress in your life?

Taking simple steps to take care of your mental health can reduce or prevent the dangerous effects of stress. Here are some tips to help manage stress:

  • Get proper health care for your health problems and new ones that come up
  • Ask for help from friends, family and community members to reduce stress from work problems or family issues
  • Look for signs of your body's response to stress, like trouble sleeping, increased alcohol and other substance use, being easily angered, feeling depressed and having low energy
  • Decide what must get done and what can wait. Learn to say “No” to new tasks if they make you feel like you are taking on too much.
  • Note what tasks you have finished at the end of the day, not what you have been unable to do
  • Exercise regularly. Just 30 minutes a day of gentle walking can help boost mood and reduce stress
  • Schedule regular times for healthy and relaxing activities
  • Look into stress coping programs, like meditation, yoga, tai chi or other gentle exercises
  • Ask for help from a mental health specialist if you are overwhelmed, feel you cannot cope, have suicidal thoughts or are using drugs or alcohol to cope

Sources: Mayo Clinic -

National Institute of Mental Health,

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This Preventive Health Guide is not meant to take the place of

your health care provider’s advice.