Key points

  • In survival situations, stress can be helpful, but in our everyday modern life, it’s more of an overreaction.
  • Excess stress can cause bodily symptoms such as poor digestion, fatigue, and muscle tension.
  • Resilience is a skill you can build using a variety of techniques to deal with the physical and emotional effects of stress.

Ever feel frozen before a difficult exam? Or rage after getting cut from a team? Or maybe dizziness when heading into a tense conversation? These are all natural responses to stress. 

It’s not only your mental health that suffers when you’re under stress. Your physical health takes a toll as well. When you’re stressed out, the adrenal glands produce “fight-or-flight” hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine (also known as adrenaline).

But wait—you’re not helpless here. You can tap into your internal resilience to counteract the negative effects of stress. Resilience is your ability to “bounce back” from difficult or stressful situations. Fortunately, resilience is a skill you can build using a variety of techniques to deal with the physical and emotional effects of stress.

Here are some techniques and exercises to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Enjoy.