스트레스란 정신적 신체적 자극으로 인한 변화로부터 자신을 보호하려는 반응이다. 그렇다면 스트레스는 정말 만병의 근원일까?
Health psychology expert Kelly McGonigal discovered a very interesting fact about stress. In 1998, she conducted a survey of 30,000 American adults asking questions such as “How much stress do you experience?” and “Do you believe stress is harmful to your health?” The results showed that only those who “believed stress was harmful” had a significantly increased risk of death. This demonstrates that negative thinking has a detrimental effect on our health.
Stress can be divided into “positive stress (eustress)” and “negative stress (distress).” As such, stress does not always have a negative impact on everyone. Activities such as studying, exercising, traveling, getting married, or changing jobs—even if they feel burdensome and difficult at first—can lead to personal growth when handled appropriately; this is positive stress. Just as painful experiences can cause stress, so can times when everything is going well. The right amount of stress can invigorate our lives and boost productivity and creativity.
To learn to cope with stress, you need to be more aware of your mental health. If you aren’t honest with yourself about how you’re feeling, you won’t be able to seek help when you need it. Everyone experiences stress; it’s not something we can choose to have or not. Even in the same situation, the degree of stress people feel can vary greatly from person to person. This is because everyone responds to stress differently. Whether you view stress positively or negatively makes a significant difference in the outcome.
So, how can we maintain a healthy level of stress?
“Self-care” is currently one of the biggest trends—it refers to the practice of taking care of oneself to cope with mental, emotional, and physical stress. The fact that self-care has become a trend also suggests that stress levels among modern people are on the rise. To manage this stress, people have begun to take an interest in self-care, and a variety of services have emerged to meet this need. Self-care reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, and fosters positive thinking. Self-care is not selfish. It is no longer a luxury but a necessity.
There are many self-care practices you can adopt without spending a lot of time or money. Meditation, quality sleep, half-body baths, moderate exercise, walks, massages, religious practices, appreciating art, eating healthy food, talking with loved ones, and keeping a gratitude journal—these may seem like small things, but they are the very things we’ve been putting off or failing to do for ourselves. With the new year upon us, let’s start practicing these self-care habits right now!
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health provides effective information and resources to various communities within Los Angeles County and conducts workshops on a wide range of topics to reduce barriers and stigma surrounding mental health. The department offers preventive education workshops covering a wide range of topics, including stress, depression, anxiety disorders, grief and loss, suicide prevention, domestic violence, childhood mental health disorders, bullying, substance abuse, and dementia. Those interested are encouraged to contact 213-523-9100.
The workshops are free and confidential for everyone, and are available both online and in person. They are held during the day and in the evening on weekdays, as well as on weekends, and can be organized for families, religious organizations, senior centers, and companies. LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH) Helpline: (800) 854-7771 / dmh.lacounty.gov
* Choi Young-hwa, Community Health Worker, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
* For workshop and information inquiries
Young Choi (Community Health Worker): (213) 523-9100 /
ychoi@dmh.lacounty.gov
Source: Christian Journal (https://www.kcjlogos.org)
