Stress Awareness Month

Stress can be defined as a physical response of the body to changes, during which chemicals are released into the blood. There are so many reasons people become stressed, such as issues with finances, relationships, or work, or a sudden traumatic event. Some stress, positive stress, is good, as it can push us forward. But negative stress—if it is extreme or constant—can do both physical and mental damage to the body. There are many warning signs and damaging effects of stress, such as anxiety, depression, dizziness, dry mouth, headaches, an upset stomach, diarrhea and constipation, a weak immune system, back pain, a stiff neck and other tight muscles, fatigue, insomnia, weight gain or loss, expanded difficulties with relationships or at work, high blood pressure, and even heart disease. 

National Stress Awareness Day takes place the day after taxes are due—a day on which there may be a lot of stress. The day also takes place during Stress Awareness Month. Since 1992, the year both the day and the month were created, they have been sponsored by the Health Resource Network (HRN), a non-profit health education organization. On National Stress Awareness Day, we focus on this leading health problem and raise awareness about the causes and cures of it. It is a day when people recognize their own stress, and figure out what steps they are going to take to overcome it.