Pandemic stress, work stress, now holiday stress; Here are some ways to cope

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Managing stress around the holidays can be challenging enough, and when you add work-related issues, including staffing shortages, childcare concerns, and a pandemic, it can feel exhausting.

Psychologist Dr. Rose Moten said some clients are even reporting feeling "triggered" in situations that normally wouldn't be an issue.

Dr. Moten adds that people who have never suffered from depression or anxiety have been reaching out for help.

"Any change in behavior or thought that is bringing distress to you, that is your body's GPS telling you, you need to go in a different direction," she said.

At her Bloom Transformation Center, Dr. Moten practices traditional psychotherapy and she also uses holistic methods of healing, including the use of sounds and their vibrations to help clients meditate at a deeper level.

"Individuals are coming here and just finding that the sound healing and the meditation is just bringing them back to a sense of calm, bringing them back to a sense of balance, both emotionally balanced and physiologically balanced," Dr. Moten told 7 Action News.

Too much stress or prolonged stress can cause headaches and can lead to health conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, according to DMC Dr. Katrice Herndon who specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics.

"There are certain symptoms that you look for that are related to stress," said Dr. Herndon. "People can complain of headaches, or (say) 'I feel anxious, or I'm restless, or I'm having muscle tension all over my body, even chest pain' ... when you're feeling chest pain, especially if it's something that's consistent, you definitely need to bring that to the attention of your health care provider to make sure that there's nothing else underlying going on."

Dr. Herndon added that stress can also trigger depression which also requires treatment.

Getting enough sleep is important to managing stress.

Dr. Herndon also suggests deep breathing, yoga, regular exercise, and eating a well balanced diet.

"And when you feel like you've done those things, and you don't feel like it's really helping, that is the time you want to seek help from your health care provider," said Dr. Herndon.

Source: https://www.wxyz.com/news/pandemic-stress-work-stress-now-holiday-stress-here-are-some-ways-to-cope