Sometimes, stress is good for you. It gives you the energy boost you need to move effectively through life’s loudest moments. The stress of an upcoming test can help you study the materials closely and enter the test with a game plan, leaving you feeling prepared and confident. 

While stress can certainly fuel excitement and ambition, it can also cause fatigue and eventually, depression. 

Stress vs. Chronic Stress

Your stress response helps you respond to threats in the short-term. As in, “The car in front of me is braking WAY too quickly, I need to swerve out of the way.”

The immediacy causes you to react quickly to combat the stressor. However, feeling intense urgency every day can take a physical and emotional toll on you.

Examples of chronic stress include living in an abusive or chaotic home environment, being in an unhealthy relationship, working a toxic job, or managing more responsibilities than you can realistically handle. Situations like these over-activate your stress response, leading to fluctuations in the nervous system that can cause depression.

From there, the cycle is hard to break. Experiencing more stress leads to more symptoms of depression, which cycles back into more feelings of stress. Now, you’re stressed about being depressed.

How Depression and Stress Feed Into Each Other

Depression leads to feelings of worthlessness. You may develop a desire to isolate yourself. It may cause you to neglect close friendships or give up activities you used to find fun and relaxing. Losing valuable stress-relieving outlets encourages the cyclical nature of stress and depression to carry on. Over time, more and more stress builds up.

Chronic stress may not even be the reason you have depression. Depression has many causes unrelated to your environment, like a chemical imbalance in the brain or a genetic roll of the dice. 

However, stress can increase your likeliness to develop depression, especially if you’re predisposed. That’s why it’s important to have an arsenal of coping skills ready to help you out.

Coping With Stress and Depression

Remember that stress is not something you should go out of your way to avoid; it’s inevitable! Even life’s happiest moments come with a healthy dose of stress.

If you’re getting married, you probably feel pretty happy. However, the stress of telling all of your friends and family, planning an expensive wedding, and compromising your routine to consider your fiance’s lifestyle could get to you if you don’t have great coping skills.

Lessen the stress during the good (and bad) times by trying these tips:

  • Meditation: Deep-breathing is a great way to calm the body and reset your nervous system. Even a couple minutes of breath focus can significantly reduce feelings of stress.
  • Exercise: Asking a depressed person to exercise is like asking a dog to meow. It sounds counterintuitive, but you can make it easier on yourself by asking, “What can my body realistically handle right now?” If not a run, maybe something with less constant stress on the body will work, like yoga.
  • Rethink Your Schedule: If there are just too many things causing you stress, cut some out! Adjust your work availability, reconsider your bedtime, or pass off a family obligation you don’t have the energy to fulfill. Those who love and care about you will understand when you need to step back. 
  • Therapy: Sometimes, you just need to vent about everything you’re stressed about. You don’t need a friend rushing you through your pain so they can get you to happy hour; you need a licensed professional counselor who will listen, validate, and help you through your darkest times. 

Ready to take back your life? Schedule an appointment with me today.

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