Employee Health and Wellness: Resources for Managing Stress

While stress is a normal part of the human experience, too much of it can jeopardize one’s health.

As we observe National Stress Awareness Month in April, it is important to learn to identify stressors in your life and develop healthy coping mechanisms to handle life’s pressures.

United Healthcare defines stress as a bodily response to “any situation that causes physical, mental or emotional strain.” Acute stress is a reaction to short-term events or issues, such as preparing for a presentation at work. Chronic stress, on the other hand, occurs when a prolonged stressor causes you to “stay at a level of high stress for too long.” The Mayo Clinic also identifies burnout as a specific type of stress that includes “being worn out physically or emotionally” at your job.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that stress can negatively impact your health, causing:

• Unpleasant feelings.
• Difficulty focusing.
• Trouble falling and staying asleep.
• Physical reactions, such as headaches, muscle tension or gastrointestinal issues.

In addition, stress can worsen existing health conditions and lead to substance abuse.

Because stress is unavoidable, it is important to learn how to manage it. United Healthcare recommends developing an exercise routine, a healthy diet and a regular sleep schedule. It is also important to nurture your relationships and social connections so that you have a support system. Lastly, practicing mindfulness activities such as yoga, meditation and breathing exercises can also assist in reducing unhealthy stress levels.

United Healthcare has many resources around the topic of stress, including the following webinars:

• Stress in the Workplace.
• Laughter is Medicine.
• Soothing Stress.
• Breathing for Better Health.

Additionally, United Healthcare has developed a Soothing Stress document available in both English and Spanish.

If your symptoms do not get better with the recommended lifestyle changes, it may be worth talking to your doctor about your stress. ACPS also offers an Employee Assistance Program through Hartford, allowing contract staff who work 15 hours or more access to confidential counseling and other resources.

Information provided by the Mayo Clinic, the CDC and United Healthcare.