stress
Therapy for Stress Management
in NYC
What Is Stress Management?
Stress is a normal physical, emotional, and mental response when facing a challenging event. While stress can lead to growth, positive action, and change, it can also have a negative effect that can lessen the quality of one’s life.
Stress management is an approach that encapsulates a wide spectrum of strategies that are focused on helping you cope with stress and the adversities of life. As a result, stress management can help you lead a healthier and more balanced life.
In this day and age, many people suffer from stress. According to SingleCare.com, approximately one-third of the global population was reported to have experienced stress, anger, and worry in 2019. In 2022, about 55% of Americans were reported to have been stressed.
To further understand the impact of stress in America, take a look at the statistics collected by the American Psychological Association below.
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Gen Z adults are the group of people experiencing the highest amounts of stress, followed by Millennials.
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The older generation (those born between 1925 and 1945) are reported to be the least stressed.
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Between males and females, females are more prone to stress than males.
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In terms of race, white individuals experience the highest levels of stress (at 5.0), with Hispanics coming at a close second (at 4.9), and black individuals with the lowest level of stress (at 4.8)
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There are many reasons why you may feel stressed. This can range from health concerns, work, finances, family responsibilities, relationships to the economy and society. In many cases, people feel stressed when they undergo a significant change in their life, like adding a new family member, loss from death or illness, going through a divorce, changing financial or marital status, and facing sexual challenges.
What Does stress Feel Like?
While stress may seem like a common occurrence, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. In America alone, an estimated 8.3 million adults suffer from severe psychological distress. The effects of stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Because of this, it’s important to take note of symptoms of stress so you can take the necessary action to protect your wellbeing.
When you experience any form of stress, your body’s nervous system alters your breathing, heart rate, vision, and more. The built-in response to stress (also known as the fight-or-flight response) allows the body to face and cope with stressful situations.
Often, this response will manifest in both physical and mental symptoms. The physical symptoms can include the following:
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Body pains and aches
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Chest pain and heart palpitations
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Exhaustion
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Dizziness, shaking, and headaches
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Muscle tension
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High blood pressure
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Digestive problems
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Weak immune system
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Trouble sleeping
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On the other hand, the mental and emotional symptoms can include:
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Sadness
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Panic attacks
When signs of stress become unbearable, many people try to manage them by resorting to unhealthy behaviors, such as:
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Drinking alcohol frequently or in high amounts
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Gambling
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Overeating, sometimes to the point of developing eating disorders
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Smoking
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Procrastinating
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Taking drugs or substances
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Isolating
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Although these are common signs of stress, not everyone will experience them in the same way. As a natural response to challenging situations, stress often manifests itself in unique ways, which typically depend on your circumstances and attitude. Because of this, stress is classified as a subjective condition that cannot be measured through tests. Only you can determine if it’s present or not and how severe it is.
If you think you’re experiencing chronic stress, know you are not alone. Many people experience it at least once in their lives. When this happens, it’s okay to seek professional help from healthcare professionals and therapists.
THERAPISTS WHO CAN HELP
NYC Therapists Who Specialize in Therapy for Stress Management
Connecting with the right therapist is the most important factor in your search. We’re here to help you find a great match.
What Does Therapy for stress management Look Like?
At Clarity Therapy, we’ll help you identify your stress, understand the triggers that cause it, and develop an effective action plan that best works for you. Our team of professional therapists in NYC work alongside you every step of the way to help you address a wide range of concerns — such as life stressors — to boost your overall wellbeing.
Because every person is different, our psychotherapists tailor treatment to meet your individual needs. Our trained therapists draw from various approaches such as mindfulness practices, insight-oriented therapy, Somatic Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you better manage stress.
What if I’m Not Ready To Start Therapy?
If you don’t think you’re ready for therapy for stress management, that’s okay. Everyone moves at their own pace, and there is no one right way to pursue healing and stress relief. Perhaps you need time to consider the best option for your case. Below are some of the alternatives you can explore to live a healthier and more balanced life.
Practice relaxation strategies
There are several relaxation techniques you can do to reduce and prevent stress. These can be performed on their own, but if you prefer, you can even combine them with one or two other relaxation strategies to help calm your mind and body. These techniques are:
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Massage
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Yoga or Tai Chi
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Art therapy
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Music therapy
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Meditation
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Nature walk
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Aromatherapy
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Breathing exercises (see our blog here on How Breathwork Can Help Anxiety).
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Exercise (such as dancing, running, or swimming)
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Affirmations and positive self-talk
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In addition, you can also pursue activities that you know can refocus your mind and release positive emotions.
Identify what’s in your control
One of the main causes of stress is not having control over the outcome of your actions. By identifying and focusing on what you can control, you can take small steps to feel more empowered, centered, and balanced. You can start by simplifying large projects into bite-sized, manageable parts or you can take it day by day. Once you realize that you’re in control, you can better manage your responses to stress.
Connect with others
When you’re in distress, you might be more inclined to isolate yourself and deal with your problems on your own. However, we find that instead of improving how you feel, isolating yourself can often heighten negative thoughts and feelings. It’s encouraged that you take this opportunity to connect or reconnect with people.
You can start by engaging with people you’re most comfortable with, such as friends and family. If you want to confide in someone who can truly understand where you’re coming from, a good option is to find a stress management support group in NYC.
Seek help
If your stress leads to suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, or mental health issues, call a mental health hotline. In New York City, you can connect to NYC Well to gain access to free and confidential crisis counseling, substance use and mental health support, and referrals. You can reach the helpline 24/7 via text, call, or online chat. To get in touch with NYC Well, you can:
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Text “WELL” to 65173
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Call 1-888-NYC-WELL
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Visit the website to chat
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The goal of their services is to help you deal with your condition with help. Remember, you are not alone in this battle.
Interested in therapy for stress management?
Get in touch today.
Get in touch with us today to schedule a free consultation with a therapist who specializes in therapy for stress management in NYC.