Manage Your Stress During Stress Awareness Month

April 19, 2024

April is stress awareness month and serves as a crucial reminder to prioritize your mental and physical well-being. Throughout this month, we encourage you to recognize the signs of stress, understand its impact on your physical and mental health, and explore ways to reduce your stress levels. 

Stress can manifest in various physical and mental forms. The most common physical forms include muscle tension, headaches, fatigue, changes in appetite, elevated heart rate as well as sleep deprivation. On the other hand, stress can show up mentally in the form of anxiety, irritability, mood swings, lack of concentration, and feelings of overwhelm. 

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) points out social media likely has some correlation to increased levels of worry and stress. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine even cited author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who described social media as, “the largest uncontrolled experiment humanity has ever performed on its own children” (The Anxious Generation). 

Director LeeAnne Cornyn announced a campaign called “Check in on Yourself” which is aimed to provide tips of managing and reducing stress associated with social media use as well as remind individuals to take a breath and check in on themselves.  

Using the scales below and measure your stress levels from green being manageable to red being severe stress. Then focus on managing your stress by checking in with your body, finding a safe space, taking deep breaths, connecting with those you trust, completing small tasks you can accomplish now, and speaking with certified counselors. 

Use the link below to learn more about the “Check in on Yourself” campaign. 

Check In On Yourself | Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (ohio.gov)