Coping with Stress Heart and Stroke

COPING
WITH

STRESS
heartandstroke.ca

cmha.ca

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Did you know?
• Stress is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. • Almost one quarter of Canadians report a high degree of life stress. • No matter where you live, the pressures of everyday life can have an impact on your wellbeing. • When it’s not possible to avoid excessive stress, you need a strategy. This booklet will help you understand and manage stress in your life.

Copyright © 2009 Canadian Mental Health Association, National Office

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PART 1 1 What is stress? 2 Test your stress index 3 Understanding stress 4 The stress response 5 Stress response stages 7 Preventing stress PART 2 9 Coping with stress 19 Resources to help you
cope with stress

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PART 1
WhAT iS STReSS?
“I am so stressed!”
How often have you heard someone say that? How many times have you felt stressed yourself? No matter who you are or how you live, the pressures of everyday life can have an impact on your wellbeing. Stress is a fact of life.
But what is stress? Is it always harmful, or can it also lead you forward on your life journey? You could say there is “good” and “bad” stress. Good stress can be managed. It stimulates and helps you achieve balance in all the responsibilities of your life. You can handle good stress. Bad stress may cause you to feel out of control. It can make you break out in a cold sweat. It can make your heart beat furiously. It scares you and makes you feel sick inside. Bad stress is dangerous. It can harm your health and happiness. Everyone feels stress differently. What is stressful to you may not concern someone else because no two people respond exactly the same way to a situation. When you are confronted with a challenging event, you mentally evaluate the situation, searching for ways to resolve your inner conflict. As you try to deal with the event, you mobilize your coping skills. If you find that you can successfully cope with a situation, you don’t see it as...