Stress Awareness Month- April 2015

Happy April 1st!

April represents many things.  For many of us, it is the gateway to spring.  The weather is warming up, flowers are beginning to blossom, and people are trading the dreary colors for bright and vibrant ensembles.  That all sounds good right?  Well, this time of year can also represent stress.  The pace of work is increasing, the kids are on break / have exams / prom, etc on the horizon, travel prices are steadily rising or you've just been holding in the stresses from winter.  Does this sound like you?  I know it sounds like me.   We're in luck!  April is Stress Awareness Month.

Let's define stress.  According to Merriam-Webster, stress is a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc. or  something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.  When I hear people speaking about stress (myself included), it often refers to the first definition--a state of mental tension and worry.  As the graphic above shows, many other negative feelings go right along with stress.

So how do we combat these feelings?  Speaking from my own experience, the first step is to identify the stressors in life and determine how they can be managed.  Notice I didn't say eliminated completely.  Depending on what causes you anxiety, it may not be easily removed but it CAN be managed.  Every week this month, I'm going to focus on some of the most common stress factors and share my thoughts on how to survive and thrive!  I hope you'll follow along with me.

In the meantime, here is a Huffington Post article detailing what stress is NOT.  Interesting read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/03/stress-myths-busted-misconceptions-causes-symptoms_n_2974643.html

What are your thoughts on stress?  How do you manage?  I would love to read your comments.  You can also connect with me on Twitter (@MsVibrantLady).