Ambient stress examples
How Ambient Stress May Be Hurting Your Mental Health
Americans’ mental health tanked during the first year of the pandemic. More than 36% of U.S. adults experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression in August 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By January 2021, the number was above 40%.
It’s not hard to see why. A novel and scary virus was spreading without vaccines to slow it. Cities and states were in various degrees of lockdown for much of 2020, with many people forgoing special occasions and visits with friends and family. Isolation and fear were widespread, and people had every reason to feel acutely stressed.
But even as lockdowns lifted, people got vaccinated, and life resumed more of its normal rhythms, many people continued to feel…off. In an American Psychological Association survey published in October 2021, 75% of people said they’d recently experienced consequences of stress, including headaches, sleep issues, fatigue, and feeling overwhelmed.
Now, more than two years into the pandemic, many people still haven’t bounced back. One reason could be “ambient stress”—or “stress that’s running in the background, below the level of consciousness,” says New York-based clinical psychologist Laurie Ferguson, who is director of education development at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, a nonprofit that supports people with chronic illnesses.
“There’s something amiss, but we’re not registering it all the time,” Ferguson says. “We’re always just a little bit off balance. We kind of function at a level like everything’s fine and things are normal, when in fact, they’re not.”
In a 1983 article published in the journal Environment and Behavior, researcher Joan Campbell described ambient stressors as those that are chronic and negative, cannot be substantively changed by an individual, usually do not cause immediate threats to life (but can be damaging over time), and are perceptible but often unnoticed. “Over the long run,” Campbell wrote, these stressors could affect “motivation, emotions, attention, [physical] health, and behavior. ”
Campbell cited examples like pollution and traffic noise, but it’s also an apt description of this stage of the pandemic. In March 2020, the pandemic was an in-your-face stressor—one that, at least for many people, felt urgent and all-consuming. Two years later, most people have adapted, to some degree. Most people are vaccinated, the news isn’t broadcasting the latest case counts 24/7, and life looks closer to 2019 than 2020. But, whether we’re conscious of it or not, we’re still bearing the psychic toll of two years of death, disease, upheaval, and uncertainty, as well as smaller disruptions like changes to our social or work lives, Ferguson says.
Even ambient stress can have health consequences, as Campbell pointed out. Humans evolved to deal with short-term stressors, but we’re not as good at coping with chronic stress, explains Laura Grafe, an assistant professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College. Chronic stress has been linked to conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep issues, and mental health and cognitive disorders.
Constant stress can also compound the effects of other stressors. “Everything else just seems worse with the chronic stress of the pandemic going on in the background,” Grafe says.
Ambient stress doesn’t have to zap all the joy from your life, though. In a 2021 study, Grafe and her co-authors examined how pandemic stress and coping strategies affected sleep. Her team found that a person’s sleep quality wasn’t necessarily dictated by their overall level of pandemic-related stress, but rather by how well they coped with that stress. That suggests stress, itself, isn’t necessarily the problem—it’s unmanaged stress.
When stress becomes so routine that we stop acknowledging it, we’re less likely to manage it effectively. As Cambell wrote in 1983, “coping is most likely to occur when the stressor is still novel.” Halfway through 2022, many people have abandoned soothing hobbies like bread-baking, yoga, and knitting that they adopted in spring 2020.
That’s why it’s important to develop sustainable coping strategies, says Niccole Nelson, a postdoctoral research associate in the University of Notre Dame’s psychology department who has also studied pandemic stress. “There’s no single coping strategy that is inherently good or bad,” Nelson says, but it’s often helpful to mentally reframe a stressor as less threatening. That’s difficult to do with something as serious as the pandemic, but Nelson suggests trying it on a smaller scale: finding ways to appreciate the positive aspects of working from home, for example. (Grafe suggests mindfulness exercises and cognitive behavioral therapy to cope with stress.)
Giving your brain new stimuli can also help during a prolonged period of stress, Ferguson says. Even small changes, like eating something new for breakfast or taking a different route for your daily walk, can introduce some healthy novelty. Physical activity is also a tried-and-true stress reduction tactic, she adds.
Simply noticing and naming your ambient stress can also go a long way, Ferguson says. “Even people who have gone ‘back to normal’ still have that ambient stress running, and they may not realize they’re a little more short-tempered, or they’re a little less hopeful,” she says. “It’s subtle, in many ways, and harder to notice” than full-blown pandemic stress, but just as important to manage.
Write to Jamie Ducharme at [email protected].
The 7 Different Types of Stress—and How to Ease Them
Mental health experts reveal how to cope with different types of stress, from ambient anxiety to money troubles
Coping with different types of stress
Feeling stressed from time to time is normal, whether it’s from a bad workday or watching the news about the coronavirus pandemic. But when the anxiousness and pressure build or stick around for days or weeks, stress can negatively impact your health. The American Psychological Association (APA) identifies three categories of stress: Acute—the kind from a one-time event like a big move or a death in the family; acute episodic, which occurs when you face a dreaded situation on a semi-regular basis; and chronic stress from persistent issues like difficult finances, serious trauma, or a bad work environment. Managing your stress first requires that you identify the source: Our mental health experts recommend looking at these potential stressors so that you can make a plan for coping.
WAYHOME studio/shutterstock
Type of stress: Ambient anxiety
Ambient anxiety is a type of stress that can be potentially chronic, and it is enhanced during current events and world unrest, such as the coronavirus pandemic. It can strike anytime you turn on the news or hear about someone else’s ill-fortune. Ambient anxiety is not empathy, but rather, a stress-laden, intense reaction to bad news. This can range from a nearby robbery, for example—coupled with the fear that it will happen to you or to a loved one.
We all suffer from ambient anxiety from time to time and we have different thresholds for what affects us and how. Beverly Hills-based psychotherapist, Fran Walfish says her tips for managing ambient anxiety include lots of self-care, plus limiting your daily intake of news. “It also helps to avoid negative people. When trying to keep a positive attitude, you must avoid people who thrive on negativity,” she adds. Try these simple ways to make managing stress much easier.
jd8/shutterstock
Type of stress: Work
According to the World Health Organization, work-related stress causes ill health, reduced productivity, and poor motivation. It also increases on-the-job accidents. “A [2017] study in Preventive Medicine, indicated that prolonged exposure to work-related stress is linked to an increased likelihood of specific cancers, including lung, colon, rectal, stomach, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” adds Dr. Walfish. Ways to combat work-related stress include physical activity. Commit to exercising, at least 30 minutes a day. This can be a brisk walk during your lunch hour, or as part of your commute home. It also helps to turn off the gossip machine. Avoid buying into or adding to negative feelings at work by discussing the situation with co-workers. Instead, discuss your feelings, calmly and assertively, with your boss. Don’t miss the signs you are headed for a nervous breakdown.
Monkey Business Images/shutterstock
Type of stress: Parenting
Stress and parenting go together, in fact, the APA even has an index for it. This can range from worrying about your baby not hitting their milestones to concern your college grad finding a job. Parental stress can be all-pervasive, eliminating your ability to enjoy your own life.
You’re never going to stop worrying about your kids completely, but one way to reduce the impact of parental stress is through healthy habits. “The best way to deal with parental stress, and all types of stress, is to follow a holistic lifestyle. Healing your stress occurs from inside,” says Aditi G Jha, MD, a practicing family physician working at the emergency department of Fortis and St. Philomena’s hospitals in Bengaluru, India. Dr. Jha recommends exercise, meditation, and eating healthy food. “Sleep is an essential, non-negotiable aspect to stress reduction. A proper night’s sleep is a must, for the body to replenish energy, and function optimally. When the body is happy, the mind is certainly happy,” she adds. Make sure to avoid these ways to reduce stress that can backfire.
Christian Mueller/shutterstock
Type of stress: Urban living
The travails of city life are associated with a greater, overall lifetime risk for mood disorders and anxiety, according to a 2011 study done published in the journal Nature. The researchers found the sounds, smells, and experience of urban living impacts the amygdala and cingulate cortex—two areas of the brain that regulate emotion and stress. Moving to quieter surroundings is one way to cope, but a more practical solution may be taking a much-needed vacation, daily, through meditation.
“Practices that train us to tune into these expressions of stress, such as mindfulness meditation, offer a way to effectively manage stress,” says Jason Thomas, an educational psychologist, and meditation teacher at Evenflow Meditation. “This training gives us a greater capacity to be compassionately aware of our thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behaviors as they are happening. With this compassionate awareness, we give ourselves an opportunity to step out of the stress cycle and regain a sense of emotional balance.” (Don’t miss these expert tips to starting a journal to improve your mental health.)
Jan H Andersen/shutterstock
Type of stress: Childhood trauma
Childhood trauma-related stress can include sexual abuse, natural disasters, war, and automobile crashes. It can result in lifelong consequences, including an inability to regulate emotion, difficulty focusing, memory problems, and chronic stress. Attempting to manage the stress of childhood trauma, ideally, begins in childhood. However, many adults find themselves still grappling with unresolved issues dating back years, or decades. Working with a therapist can help you identify the underlying cause of your stress, plus provide tools for building resilience. Medications, prescribed either long, or short term, can also help.
“Chronic stress can be managed with coping strategies, but serious, institutional methods may become necessary,” says Gabriella I. Farkas, MD, PhD, a physician that specializes in psychiatry at Northwell Health and founder of Pearl Behavioral Health & Medicine, and Pearl Medical Publishing, New York City. “Medicines like Celexa, Prozac, Sertraline, and Citalopram (to name a few) can be prescribed for symptom reduction, and therapies (including relaxation therapy, psychoanalysis, and cognitive-behavioral therapy) can help analyze the causes of stress, and address possible lifestyle changes to attack the stress at its origin. ”
Yulia Grigoryeva/shutterstock
Type of stress: Money troubles
If you can’t make the mortgage, save a penny for retirement, or come up with cash to feed your kids, extreme stress is bound to occur. This type of stress can be chronic, resulting in depression, feelings of helplessness, and even heart disease or cancer. Money-related stress is not easy to fix but does respond to positive lifestyle changes. If unemployment is the issue, working with a non-profit employment counselor is a solid, first step. If you have some money in the bank but are living above your means, it can help to analyze your spending habits versus your income, and working with a financial planner, to make adjustments. Be aware of these telltale signs you’re more stressed than you realized.
Syda Productions/shutterstock
Type of stress: Life changes
Clearly, huge events such as the death of a spouse, personal injury or illness, and divorce, can trigger stress. But even seemingly minor events, such as moving or getting a traffic ticket can exacerbate stress levels. The American Institute of Stress lists these and other life events as contributors to stress, and they can all add up to a significant impact on your anxiety levels.
While it’s true that dealing with all types of stress is part of life, recognizing just how stressed out you are, and why, can be a good first step in coping. You may not be able to change your stress-causing reality, but dealing with it is within your grasp. Having solid relationships can help. Making sure to cultivate and maintain friendships can greatly help reduce stress, by supplying a sympathetic platform for talking it out.
Engaging in fun activities is also important. Do what you enjoy, whether it’s a day trip, museum excursion, book club discussion, or concert. Just make sure to find activities that get you out of the house, and keep the Netflix binges to a minimum. Outdoor events give you a reason to look your best and focus on something other than the stressor at hand.
Sources
- Fran Walfish, PsyD, psychotherapist, Beverly Hills
- World Health Organization: “Work Organization & Stress”
- American Psychological Association: “Parenting Stress Index”
- Aditi G Jha, MD, a practicing family physician working at the emergency department of Fortis and St. Philomena’s hospitals, Bengaluru, India
- Nature: “City living and urban upbringing affect neural social stress processing in humans”
- Jason Thomas, LEP, an educational psychologist, and meditation teacher at Evenflow Meditation
- Gabriella I. Farkas, MD, PhD, a physician that specializes in psychiatry at Northwell Health and founder of Pearl Behavioral Health & Medicine, and Pearl Medical Publishing, New York City
- American Institute of Stress: “The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory”
Originally Published: March 16, 2020
Corey Whelan
Corey Whelan is a freelance writer with strong, core competency in health and wellness. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Whelan writes about mom-centric anything, pets, lifestyle and medical issues. She has written a wide range of fact sheets, articles and handbooks and creates and produces videos and webinars for non-profit organization, Path3Parenthood, where she serves as Program Director. She is a current contributor to CBS News, WebPsychology and Care.com. An adept, thorough researcher, Whelan is well-trained in SEO optimization and key word use. She uses her craft to further her own love of learning and spends her very few hours of free time on cooking, pilates and DIY crafting. She shares her life with two, all-grown-up children and two astonishingly kooky rescue dogs.
TYPES OF STRESS: EUSTRESS AND DISTRESS?
Citizens' application form
By clicking on the "Submit" button, you consent to the processing of your personal data. Personal data processing policy.
Cooperation
Legal entities, individual entrepreneurs can conclude a direct contract with our clinic for various medical services - all types of medical examinations, outpatient and inpatient services for employees or other persons.
To cooperate with us, fill out the form
Telephone
Organization name
Your Email
Your message
By clicking on the "Submit" button, you consent to the processing of your personal data. Personal data processing policy.
Request a call
Your name
Your phone
By clicking on the "Submit" button, you consent to the processing of your personal data. Personal data processing policy.
INFORMATION ON VACCINATION
Citizens aged 18 years and over who do not have contraindications at the time of vaccination (signs of an acute infectious disease, as well as an infectious disease suffered within 14-30 days before vaccination) can undergo vaccination.
Vaccination is carried out in two stages. At the first visit, the 1st component of the vaccine is administered. After 21 days, the 2nd component is introduced.
We recommend that patients undergoing vaccination follow all safety measures: social distance, wearing personal protective equipment for at least 42 days after the first dose of the drug. This is due to the fact that during this period, antibodies to COVID-19 are not yet available.
Vaccination is free for everyone.
IMPORTANT!!!
If there is a positive epidemiological history (contact with patients with infectious diseases within the last 14 days) and in those who have recovered from COVID-19 for more than six months, testing is carried out: a study of biomaterial from the nasopharynx and oropharynx by PCR (or rapid test) for the presence of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 or blood with a test for the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Those who have recovered from COVID-19 within the last six months are not vaccinated.
ACTION ALGORITHM
1. Filling out the questionnaire.
2. Compulsory medical examination.
3. Carrying out the first stage of vaccination with the permission of the doctor.
4. Carrying out the second stage of vaccination with the permission of the doctor.
YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR VACCINATION:
- by calling the call center - 8 (4822) 45 23 25
- leaving a request on the site
- in person at the reception
Filling out the questionnaire and examination by a general practitioner is carried out in room No. 109Vaccination takes place in the office No. 110
Apply for vaccination
Your full name
Year of birth
Your phone
Your Email
Download "Patient Questionnaire"* - fill out the form and attach it below
Attach questionnaire
By clicking on the "Register" button, you consent to the processing of your personal data. Personal data processing policy.
Apply for vaccination
Your full name
Year of birth
Your phone
Your Email
Download "Patient Questionnaire"* - fill out the form and attach it below
Attach questionnaire
By clicking on the "Register" button, you consent to the processing of your personal data. Personal data processing policy.
Make an appointment
Your name
Your phone
Your Email
Purpose of visit
By clicking on the "Make an appointment" button, you consent to the processing of your personal data. Personal data processing policy.
Leave feedback
Your name
Your Email
Revocation text
By clicking on the "Make an appointment" button, you consent to the processing of your personal data. Personal data processing policy.
version for the visually impaired
Health Network of Russian Railways “Russian Railways” of Russian Railways
Home
/
Blog
/
Psychology and Health
/
Types of Stress: Eustress and Distress?
Stress is a natural reaction of our body to external stimuli, which can develop into a permanent state and then it becomes dangerous for all your health and normal life. Stress can be of two types: positive (eustress) and negative (distress)
Eustress - caused by positive emotions (positive) and negative events (mobilizing).
In this state, the body is mobilized and concentrated on performing tasks. He successfully copes with the tasks at work and at home. Prolonged negativity leads to a destructive form.
Distress is the second form of stress. Depletes the nervous system and destroys the body. Mental activity suffers, our performance decreases.
Return to the list
Rate the quality of our care
Take the survey
On our site "okbtver.ru" we use cookies and similar technologies to provide you, our users, a convenient experience with the content of the site. By staying on the site and continuing to read us, you confirm your consent to the use of cookies
accept
Psychology of stress: theory and practice
%PDF-1.5 % 10 obj > /Metadata 4 0 R >> endobj 5 0 obj /Author /Title >> endobj 20 obj > endobj 3 0 obj > endobj 40 obj > stream