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Everyone experiences stress, but it can often be hard to tell where everyday stress ends and anxiety begins. While stress is a natural reaction to an external challenge that can sometimes help you focus, frequent and intense stress can strain your body and evolve into persistent anxiety. In this edition of the Mental Health Wire, you'll learn how to distinguish stress from anxiety, understand their effects on physical and mental health, and discover practical strategies and expert insights to restore calm to your mind and body.

While stress and anxiety share many physical and emotional symptoms, understanding their core differences is essential for finding the right coping tools:

• The Trigger (External vs. Internal): Stress is typically a response to an external trigger, such as a work deadline, a financial worry, or an argument. Anxiety is an internal reaction to that stress, often characterized by a persistent feeling of apprehension or dread in situations where there is no immediate external threat.

• Duration: Stress usually subsides once the external problem is resolved or the situation passes. Anxiety, on the other hand, can linger long after the stressor has vanished, or it may arise without any clear cause at all.

• Symptom Profile: Both can cause sleeplessness, muscle tension, and irritability. However, anxiety is more frequently defined by relentless, intrusive worry, panic, hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviors.

Stress affects your entire body, mentally as well as physically. Some common signs include headaches, trouble sleeping, jaw pain, changes in appetite, frequent mood swings, difficulty concentrating, and feeling overwhelmed.

When experiencing long-term stress, your brain is exposed to increased levels of a hormone called cortisol. This exposure weakens your immune system, making it easier for you to get sick.

Furthermore, stress can contribute to worsening symptoms of mental health conditions. For example, in schizophrenia, it can encourage hallucinations and delusions, while in bipolar disorder, it can trigger episodes of both mania and depression. Knowing what situations cause stress is the first step in coping with this very common experience.

When You Are Most Vulnerable To Stress

People are most susceptible to stress and heightened anxiety when they are:

• Not getting enough sleep or not eating well

• Lacking a reliable network of support

• Experiencing poor physical health

• Navigating major life changes such as moving, the death of a loved one, starting a new job, having a child, or getting married

Everyone has their own threshold. Certain things that upset you might not even make a friend raise an eyebrow. Some people are affected when they experience large crowds and noisy environments, while others react to silence and free time. Recognizing your unique vulnerabilities helps you plan ahead.

Developing a personalized approach to reducing stress can help you manage your mental health condition and improve your quality of life. Once you’ve learned what your triggers are, experiment with coping strategies:

• Accept your needs: Recognize what situations make you feel physically and mentally agitated so you can avoid them when reasonable, or prepare to cope when you can't.

• Manage your time: Prioritize your activities and make a day-to-day schedule so you don't feel overwhelmed by everyday tasks and deadlines.

• Practice relaxation: Square breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation are great ways to calm yourself and refocus.

• Exercise daily: Schedule time to walk outside, bike, or join a dance class. Daily exercise naturally produces stress-relieving hormones.

• Set aside time for yourself: Schedule activities that make you feel good, like reading a book, seeing a movie, or walking your dog.

• Nourish your body: Eat unprocessed foods like whole grains, vegetables, and fresh fruit to help stabilize your mood, and aim for consistent, restful sleep.

• Avoid alcohol and drugs: These substances don't reduce stress or anxiety; in fact, they often worsen both.

• Talk to someone: Reach out to friends, family, a counselor, or a NAMI CCNS support group.

Featured Podcast: NAMI Ask the Expert on Stress, Distress, and Trauma

Understanding how our brains react under pressure can change how we approach recovery. In a NAMI Ask the Expert session hosted by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth, renowned neuroscientist Dr. Bruce Perry broke down how all brain functioning is "state-dependent".

• State-Dependent Functioning: Cognition, emotional stability, and social functioning naturally shift depending on your internal state. When you feel threatened or highly distressed, lower brain systems react first, which can temporarily shut down higher-level cortical thinking, meaning we literally process emotions before we can process logic.

• The Importance of Rhythm: Dr. Perry emphasized that our nervous systems respond profoundly to pattern-repetitive, rhythmic activities (such as walking, music, or repetitive motor exercises) which help short-circuit the stress response and restore balance to the brain.

• Building Resilience: Predictable, moderate, and controllable stress challenges help build neuroplasticity and resilience over time, whereas unpredictable or chronic stress can sensitize our system to react more intensely.

Do you have go-to positive affirmation to get you through tough times? Share it with us for a chance to be featured in the Mental Health Wire!

Support Free Mental Health Programs in Our Community

At NAMI Cook County North Suburban, we offer free support groups, educational classes, and resources to help individuals and families navigate stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges. Your generosity ensures that no one has to face these challenges alone.

Thank you for being a vital part of the NAMI Cook County North Suburban community. Whether you are navigating daily stress or persistent anxiety, remember that support is always within reach. With the right tools, community networks, and self-compassion, you can regain balance. We are here for you whenever you need support.

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