All posts by umohemem

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed and stressed now that summer is over? If you are, you are definitely not alone. This is when you head back to work, kids go back to school, and productivity increases. You might be stressed about changing your schedule, focusing on your routine, or even the holidays which are coming up fast. Luckily, there are some easy ways to reduce stress in the fall season.

Declutter Everything | Reduce Stress and Enjoy Your Autumn

Think of the fall season as the second spring of the year, and use this as an opportunity to declutter your home. Take a little time to clean your home and really declutter your workspace, bedrooms, and living areas. Clutter can create a chaotic and stress-induced mindset, which is the last thing you want.

Switch Up Your Daily Routine

If you want less stress during this season, it helps to refocus your daily routine and make some changes appropriate for the time of year. You already have daily routines, whether you realize it or not. This includes the same things you tend to do at certain times of the day. You can make small adjustments that really reduce your stress, such as waking up 20 minutes early to write in your journal before getting ready for the day, or adding in a little extra reading time with your kids before their bedtime.

Exercise with the Family

You probably know all the great benefits of exercising, from helping to manage your weight and give you more energy, to boosting your mood and helping you become more fit. But there is no reason to exercise along; in fact, getting the family involved can help reduce everyone’s stress in the fall.

This can be riding your bikes at a nearby park, spending a Saturday going on a hike, or staying in to have a dance party on a rainy day.

Plan Some Fun Activities | Reduce Stress and Enjoy Your Autumn

This fall season, you can lower your stress by planning some fun activities for the family or friends, but make sure they focus more on relaxation. Instead of trying to fill your schedule with as much as possible that requires a lot of effort, think about fun and relaxing activities like going apple picking, enjoying a local fall festival with your family, or having a girl’s night with friends.

Start Using a Daily Planner

Now is a great time to look at your goals and tasks, and make a schedule that shows exactly what to do and when. How does this help with your stress? It can keep you from getting too overwhelmed, and actually see that you can get all your tasks completed in a reasonable amount of time, without feeling like you are going non-stop.

Get a daily planner you love, that hopefully includes different layouts, like daily, weekly, and monthly calendar pages. This allows you to fill out your schedule, create to-do lists, and see what you have going on each day and week.

Need more info on how to reduce stress this autumn, call us today.

Affirmations are an amazing tool when you want to be happier and more optimistic, get the right focus, and improve your mental attitude. You get to choose what affirmations to use, whether writing them down or saying them out loud. Here is some more information about using affirmations in the fall season.

Benefits of Daily Use

Why should you incorporate daily affirmations into your routine? There are actually a few great reasons to use them, and several ways to add them to your routine. Here is a rundown of the main benefits of positive affirmations:

It promotes a positive attitude and change in your mindset. This is definitely one of the best reasons to use daily affirmations. They are always positive statements meant to put you in a right mindset. It helps you throughout the day when you start your day with more positivity and kindness.

You start to appreciate more, and get disappointed in less. Affirmations not only show you what you want or how to feel, but they help you appreciate what you already have. They are written in present tense, such as “I am healthy today”, where not only are they positive and great for your mindset, but they help you appreciate the small things.

You are more aware of the power of your own thoughts. Affirmations teach you that just your thoughts or how you talk to yourself can make a large impact in your entire life. It improves your quality of life, makes you feel more positive, and actually helps you reach your goals.

It helps provide motivation where you need it the most. Sometimes you need to manifest motivation into your life with positive affirmations. They work wonders for this.

How to Choose Your Affirmations

What should your affirmations be? You can definitely choose from the ones other people enjoy using, but you might also want to create your own for specific situations in your life.

To write your own affirmations, here are a few tips:

Keep them positive. Affirmations should always be positive from beginning to end. If you have a negative thought or attitude, write an affirmation that switches it to something positive. For example, if you are dealing with stress about a big change in your life, try “I am capable of adapting to any situation”.

Write in present tense. You also want to write affirmations in present tense, as if what you want has already happened. If you want to achieve a goal, you write it like “I am working hard towards my goals” or something similar that is relevant to you.

Be grateful in your affirmations. Instead of talking about what you want, write your affirmations as if you are grateful for something you have (or want) in your life. For example “I am grateful to work on my goals today”.

Remember also to keep your affirmations brief so that they are easy to remember and repeat as often as needed.

Affirmations are a powerful way to change your mental attitude and focus in a positive direction. When used correctly, affirmations can help you achieve happiness and success. If you want to learn more about how to use affirmations for your personal growth, please call or email us for more information. We would be happy to assist you in using this valuable tool!

Fall Eating: Seasonal Foods to Add to Your Diet – When it comes to following a healthy diet, it isn’t all about calories and restrictions. You can still eat your favorite foods, but instead focusing on adding in more healthy options. This is easy to do when it comes to eating seasonally. For the fall, try to incorporate more of these fall superfoods into your diet.

Greens – Fall Eating: Seasonal Foods to Add to Your Diet

Fall is the perfect time to add more greens to your diet. There are many greens that are considered superfoods in the fall season, starting with turnip greens. If you haven’t tried them before, now is a great time. They are loaded with nutrients, like vitamin C and vitamin A, as well as a lot of vitamin K. You can also get calcium in turnip greens. These are a little bitter, so combine them with a citrus-based dressing.

Another green that is king of the show in the fall is kale. Start making some kale salads or add it to your smoothies, and you will be getting lots of the same vitamins – A, C, and K. It also has an excellent amount of antioxidants.

Veggies – Fall Eating: Seasonal Foods to Add to Your Diet

In addition to greens, there are some other veggies that are in season during the fall. While you can find these year-round, getting them while “in season” will mean more affordable produce, and often higher quality. This includes:

• Sweet Potatoes – Who doesn’t love a good sweet potato? You are probably used to enjoying these in the fall, where you get a slight sweetness with this complex carbohydrate. Make a healthier baked potato, slice it up into fries, or enjoy it mashed with some grass-fed butter.
• Cauliflower – Cauliflower is all the rage these days, since it is not only a taste most people can get behind, but because it is a low carb vegetable with a lot of versatility. It also happens to be in season during the fall.
• Brussels Sprouts – Brussels sprouts are also a fall superfood, and they contain some amazing nutrients, including fiber, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and antioxidants.
• Pumpkin – Pumpkin is one of the most popular vegetables in the fall, and for good reason. Not only is it delicious, but it can help increase your vitamin A and vitamin C.

Fruits

Fall is also a great time to add fruits to your diet! Some of the best fruits you can eat are in season during the fall, including:

• Apples – Fall is the perfect time to start eating apples if you haven’t been already. They are more flavorful and often more affordable as an added bonus. Try to look for apples that are firm, without bruises.
• Pomegranate – Pomegranates are a source of fiber and antioxidants, plus provide a slightly tart and sweet flavor in the fall season.
• Pears – Another great type of fruit to enjoy in the fall season is the pear. Pears are sweet and very versatile. You can eat them on their own, dipped in peanut butter, or even on a sandwich or topped on waffles for breakfast.

As the leaves start to change colours, it’s time to switch up your diet too! Add these seasonal fall foods into your meals for a boost of nutrition and health. Need more info on how to add colour to your diet, call us today.

In today’s hectic world, it’s easy to become bogged down in all the things we can’t control. From the never-ending news cycle to relationship drama, there’s always something vying for our attention and stressing us out. It’s important to remember, though, that we can’t control everything. What we can control is how we react to and deal with the things life throws our way. Here are a few tips on how to focus on what you can control to improve your mental health.

Take Time for Yourself Every Day – Focusing on What You Can Control

One of the most important things you can do for your mental health is to take some time for yourself every day. Whether it’s reading your favorite book, taking a relaxing bath, going for a walk outdoors, or anything else that brings you joy, carve out at least 30 minutes each day to do something that’s just for you. This will help you relax and recharge so that you’re better able to deal with whatever life throws your way.

Focus on Your Relationships

Another important aspect of mental health is focusing on your relationships. Spend time with loved ones, reach out to old friends, or join a club or group where you can meet new people. Nurturing your relationships will help you feel connected and supported, which can be crucial when times are tough.

Take care of Your Body 

It’s important to remember that your mental health is intrinsically linked to your physical health. Make sure you’re eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. Taking care of your body will help improve your overall mood and well-being.

Asking for Help – Focusing on What You Can Control

It’s easy to get caught up in what we can’t control and let that affect our mental health. While we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control how we react and how we take care of ourselves. Asking for help is a great way to focus on what you can control and improve your mental health. When we ask for help, we’re taking charge of our lives and our wellbeing. We’re choosing to reach out and get support from others. This can be a really important step in taking care of our mental health. Asking for help shows that we’re willing to do what it takes to improve our mental health and wellbeing. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed or struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. You deserve it.

Remember that you can’t control everything in life, but you can control how you react to and deal with situations. By taking care of yourself, focusing on your relationships, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and asking for help, you can improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new form of therapy that has shown promise in helping people who have experienced trauma. This approach uses bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movements, to help the brain process information more effectively. EMDR appears to be particularly beneficial for those who have difficulty discussing their traumatic experiences or who struggle with symptoms such as nightmares and intrusive thoughts.

EMDR has been shown to be effective in treating childhood trauma. EMDR therapy helps children reprocess and integrate traumatic memories, which reduces the trauma’s impact on their lives. This can be an extremely helpful treatment for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or other traumatic events.

It was developed by Francine Shapiro, PhD in the late 1980s. Although the mechanism by which EMDR works is still not fully understood, research indicates that it may be an effective treatment for PTSD and other psychological conditions. In this blog post, we will discuss what EMDR is, how it works, and some of its benefits. We will also provide information on where to find more information on EMDR if you are interested in learning more.

How It Works

EMDR is an evidence-based treatment approach used to help people process and heal from trauma. EMDR therapy helps individuals reprocess distressing memories using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, hand taps, or sounds). While the mechanisms underlying how EMDR works are still being explored, research suggests that it can be an effective treatment for a variety of issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and phobias. EMDR has also been shown to be helpful in reducing symptoms related to chronic pain. If you’re interested in learning more about this approach or considering it as a potential treatment option, connect with me!

EMDR Treatment

EMDR treatment can be used for children and adult. Children can be resilient. They are often able to bounce back from difficult experiences and move on with their lives. But what happens when kids can’t seem to shake off the pain and trauma of their past? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, may be able to help. EMDR is a relatively new treatment that has been shown to be effective in helping people process traumatic memories. It involves eye movements that help the brain to reprocess information more effectively. While EMDR is still relatively new, there is growing evidence that it can be helpful in treating a variety of issues, including trauma, anxiety, and depression.

EMDR has been shown to be an incredibly effective treatment for a variety of issues. If you are struggling with any of the problems we’ve listed, or have another issue that EMDR could help with, please call us or send us an email and we would be happy to discuss whether EMDR is the right treatment for you.

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor and EMDR Trained Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

Holiday and stress – it’s that time of the year again. The holidays are a time of joy, celebration, and family togetherness. But for many people, they can also be a time of stress and anxiety. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the holiday season, here are some tips to help you manage. First, take some time for yourself. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and exercise, and take some time to relax and de-stress. Second, set realistic expectations. It’s okay to say no to invitations or events that are too overwhelming. And finally, lean on your support system. Talk to your friends and family about how you’re feeling, and ask them for help in coping with the stress of the holiday season. With these tips, you can enjoy the holidays while still managing your stress

1) Nurturing Yourself

Nurturing yourself is a way to cope with holiday stress. As the holidays approach, it’s common for people to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. What can you do? Take care of yourself by eating healthy foods that will give you energy, getting enough sleep each night, exercising regularly and reducing your alcohol consumption. Practising healthier habits will help keep the holiday season fun!

2) Setting Realistic Expectation

Setting realistic expectation is important because the holidays can be a stressful time for many people. Whether it’s the stress of trying to please everyone on your list, or the pressure of having to make everything perfect, there are plenty of ways that holiday stress can get out of control. One way to cope is by setting realistic expectations and not getting too hung up on what you think has to happen in order for things to be perfect.

It’s important not to let unrealistic expectations take over and make you feel like a failure when they don’t happen. If we all set more realistic expectations and focused on enjoying ourselves with those around us instead, we would be less likely to put so much pressure on ourselves during this time period.

3) Leaning on Your Support System

Leaning on your support system is important because the holidays can be a stressful time for everyone. More so, especially for teenagers and young adults who are trying to figure out how to navigate through this new stage of their lives. It can be tough to deal with all the expectations that come with the holiday season, both from others and from yourself. One of the best ways to cope with holiday stress is to lean on your support system. This might mean relying on your parents for help or leaning on your friends for emotional support. Whatever form your support system takes, it’s important to remember that they are there for you during this time. So don’t hesitate to reach out if you need some extra help coping with holiday stress.

It’s no secret that the holidays can be stressful. The anticipation of seeing family members you haven’t seen in a while, combined with trying to find time for all your obligations and activities, is enough to make anyone anxious! But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are plenty of ways you can cope during these busy weeks. Some ideas include nurturing yourself by practising self-care or setting realistic expectations so things don’t get overwhelming. And most importantly, lean on your support system – whether they’re friends or family – when times get tough! If any of these sounds like something you need help with, we’re here for you as part of our commitment to you.

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

Unhelpful thinking styles are those that we use to think about things in a way that can cause problems. Unhelpful thinking styles are sometimes called cognitive distortions or common thinking traps. These unhelpful ways of thinking often lead to negative feelings and emotions such as anxiety, sadness, anger, helplessness or frustration. This is an important concept for parents and educators to understand because it will help them teach their children how to think in a more positive way leading to improved behaviour. Everyone has some unhelpful thoughts from time-to-time but some people have more than others. It’s important for us all to recognize these unhelpful thoughts so we can avoid set-backs and feel better about ourselves and our lives.

This blog post provides several examples of unhelpful thinking styles such as all or nothing, minimizing, mind-reading, jumping to conclusion and so on.

Catastrophizing

It is very easy to get caught up in unhelpful thinking styles, and it can be hard to realize you are doing so. Catastrophizing is a common unhelpful thinking style where people “blow things out of proportion” and see the worst possible scenario. It may also appear that they have a very negative or untrue perspective on reality.

All or Nothing

All or nothing thinking is a type of unhelpful thinking style that can lead to problems in daily life. It occurs when you see things as either good or bad, with no middle ground. For example, if you make one mistake on an exam, you might think “I’m stupid” and feel like it’s pointless to study for the remaining exams. This may cause you not to do well on other exams because your thoughts are so negative about yourself. All or nothing thinking is often associated with depression and anxiety disorders but can also affect people without mental illness. All-or-nothing thinking makes it difficult to cope with everyday stressors by creating feelings of failure and self-criticism rather than motivating us toward positive change.

Mind-Reading

Mind reading is when you assume that other people are thinking negatively about you or your actions. It could be as vague as assuming that someone doesn’t like you, or it could be as specific as assuming that a certain person thinks something negative about something specific.

Jumping-to-Conclusions

Jumping to conclusions is a form of unhelpful thinking style. It’s when we make negative assumptions about something without much evidence. We often end up feeling frustrated or angry because our expectations weren’t met. We’re all guilty of jumping to conclusions sometimes, but it does us no good and can cause significant problems in relationships with others and ourselves.

Over-Generalization

Over-Generalization is one of the unhelpful thinking styles that people with anxiety deal with. It’s when someone views a single negative event as part of an overall pattern of defeat. They see it as a reflection on their abilities in general, rather than just a momentary setback.

More so, over-generalization is a common unhelpful thinking style, and one that many people struggle with on a daily basis. Although it may seem like the simplest of all unhelpful thinking styles, over-generalization can be quite harmful. It prevents us from focusing on aspects of life (positive or negative) that need our attention.

Minimizing Unhelpful

Minimizing is one of the unhelpful thinking styles where people tend to disqualify the positive or minimize their accomplishments. They would rather push focus onto someone else.

The unhelpful thinking styles we’ve covered in this blog post can lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Fortunately, it is possible for us all to change these thought patterns with mindful awareness and some targeted strategies. If any of these examples resonate with you, and you would like to learn more, please contact us to discuss how we may be able to help!

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

Ways to reduce or manage stress will be discussed in this blog. Stress can be a major factor in an individual’s health and well-being. Stress can come from everyday things like work, family or school, but sometimes the cause is more serious like a mental illness or addiction. This blog post will explore various ways to reduce or manage stress.  Some of the topics include how to identify your stress, what causes it, coping mechanisms, healthy sleep habits, exercise routines and more. It will also discuss ways to help with stressful life events such as divorce or death of a loved one. The goal is for you to find strategies that work best for you personally so that you are able to live your best life!

Practice Deep Breathing Exercises to Relax the Body and Mind

Deep breathing is a great way to start the day. It has been proven that deep breathing exercises can reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure, increase immune function, and strengthen the nervous system. Try some deep breathing exercises with these three simple steps: take a long breath in through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth; put one hand on top of your chest and another hand on top of your stomach; breathe deeply for at least five minutes. With this exercise, you’ll notice an instant calming effect which can help reduce anxiety levels so that worries are easier to manage. This simple exercise will also help promote better sleep patterns

Get plenty of Sleep to Manage Stress

But did you know that getting enough sleep is one of the best ways to manage stress? Sleep is the time when our body repairs itself and restores energy levels. Yet, many of us are not getting enough sleep these days. Sleep deprivation can lead to physical problems, such as obesity and diabetes; mental issues like depression; and social troubles like family conflicts or difficulties at school. So how much sleep do we really need? Well it depends on age: infants 4-12 hours per day, preschoolers 10-13 hours per day, teens 9-10 hours per day, adults 7-8 hours per day. Think about what you could accomplish if you were to get more than an adequate amount of rest each night!

Eat Healthy Foods to Manage Stress

Habits determine our lives. They can also be changed to help us have a better quality of life. The food we eat every day will either give us energy or take it away. Eating healthy foods often will enable you to have more energy throughout the day and avoid stress, so you can do what needs to be done without feeling exhausted afterwards.  If these habits are difficult for you, don’t worry! There are ways that everyone can change their diet into a healthier one that they’ll enjoy just as much as their current diet – if not more! Here are some ideas for you.

• Make sure breakfast is ready-to-go in the morning
• Have fruit & vegetable snacks
• Prepare lunches ahead of time
• Create a weekly meal plan

Exercise regularly – it’s good for your health and can help you feel better about yourself.

Exercise is a great way to cope with stress and anxiety. It releases endorphins that help your body feel better while also reducing the risk of depression and other health problems. Exercise, in any form, is an effective way to manage the physical and emotional effects of stress. Even if it’s just 15 minutes, it can make a big difference! Check out these ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine: Take 10 minutes each morning before work for some light stretching or yoga poses. Walk home from work instead of driving. Find time after dinner each night for family game night which means playing games like Monopoly, Uno or Jenga together while sitting on the floor.

Take up a new hobby or try something new like cooking, painting, or playing an instrument

Having a hobby is a great way to manage stress. Even though there are many ways to de-stress, it’s always best to take up an activity that will make you happy or give you some kind of satisfaction. You can learn something new and expand your mind while having fun at the same time! There are lots and lots of things you can get into that will relax your body, mind and soul! Here’s just four – painting or drawing; cooking; knitting; and colouring.

This blog post has explored various ways to reduce and manage stress. If you’re looking for more information on how we can help, please call or schedule a session today.

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, it is not uncommon to feel stressed. Sometimes we don’t always recognize it creeping up on us. This blog post will give you some signs that stress may be taking over your life. We hope this article helps you see these stressors before you begin to feel overwhelmed.

Stress can take many forms: being overwhelmed by everyday tasks or worries about work, school or family issues. It could also mean worrying about things like money problems, health concerns or relationship troubles. If any of these are happening in your life right now, don’t panic! We can help you!

The first step to managing stress is to see the signs before you are completely overwhelmed. We are all different and what triggers one person may not in another and that is OK! Once you know what the triggers are, you can work to avoid them or better deal with them. How do you know if someone is stressed? Here are some signs to watch out for.

1) Change in Sleep Patterns

Sleep has many different functions, such as restoring energy and improving moods. However when we are under pressure it becomes difficult for our brains to “turn off”. This leads us into staying up later than usual, waking throughout the night or getting up earlier than we ought.

2) Difficulty Concentrating

It’s important to be aware of signs your child or teen may be getting stressed, but these can apply to anyone. One way you can recognize this is by looking at their ability to concentrate. Inability to focus could indicate they have too much on their minds. This may flow over in other ways such as mood swings or poor school performance.

“It can be hard to concentrate when you’re feeling stressed. All your thoughts are racing and it feels impossible to focus on anything in particular. Your mind may wander from one thought to another, or you may find yourself unable to remember things that should be easy.”

“Stress doesn’t just affect how we feel, but also has an impact on our cognitive abilities. When we’re feeling stressed, our cognitive functions such as attention span and memory suffer because the brain’s prefrontal cortex is too overwhelmed by stress hormones like cortisol.”

3) Change in Mood

The stress that we experience can negatively influence our mood. Changes in mood are a reaction to the pressures faced daily. You often see this manifest in outbursts of frustration or anger. They could also be an indicator of an underlying problem that needs attention. Mood changes often overlap with unhealthy eating habits, manifesting in things like headaches and stomach issues.

4) Changes in Appetite – Either Increased or Decreased

It is normal for people to experience changes in appetite when they are stressed or experiencing other mental health issues. Some may have an increased appetite while others could see a decrease in their appetite. Triggers may include feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities at work, home, school and more; feeling disconnected from friends, family members or loved ones; struggling with body image issues; having unmet needs such as lack of sleep; feelings of not being heard or respected enough among other things. These changes can happen unexpectedly so it is important to take notice of any sudden change in your own eating habits.

5) Loss of Interest in Hobbies or Activities you used to Enjoy

Loss of interest in hobbies or activities you used to enjoy can be a difficult and confusing time for both the person experiencing the loss and those who care about them. Understanding what might cause this sudden change in behaviour is key to getting help and moving on. This is a common indicator of depression and should not be taken too lightly. It may be that one has simply taken on too much and may need to re-evaluate their daily schedule.

It’s important to know if you or your loved one has had any recent life changes affecting their ability to participate in hobbies they once enjoyed. Has there been a change in responsibilities at work or school, relationship problems, financial difficulties or health issues? If there are no life changes it may be worth checking out other reasons for the change like depression.

6) Feeling Restless and Agitated

Feeling restless, including a sense of dread about the future as sign of stress is not uncommon in today’s society. Stress is a major issue for many people, and it can lead to feelings of unrest that may be difficult to shake. These feelings can include a sense of dread about the future or an unwillingness to participate in everyday activities. It’s important not only to identify these symptoms, but also take steps toward reducing stress so it doesn’t get out of control and affect your life.

The signs of stress are different for everyone, but there are some commonalities. If you recognize any of these 6 signs of stress in yourself or someone you know, its likely your body needs to be relieved of excess pressure. If making these changes on your own seems too much, we are here to help. Call today or schedule an appointment!

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

The 3 stress responses are fight, flight or freeze. When we experience stress, our body goes into a state of alarm and this is what causes these three responses.  Stress is normal part of life as we know but becomes a problem when it affects our daily functioning, last long, and affects daily. Parents, caregivers, teachers, children and teens are all experiencing the same stressors these days.

Sometimes it’s hard to know how best to respond when you or your child are feeling stressed. Understanding that there are three different types of responses can offer some clarity. Here is a quick summary of each type: “fight-or-flight” response, “freeze” response and the “tend-and-befriend” response. The flight response is most often experienced as an adrenaline rush in which heart rate increases and blood pressure soars while trying to escape from danger; the freeze response is going blank, stuck or stays in place in the face of perceived threat or danger; finally, the fight helps calm down before becoming aggressive and fight back.

In this blog post, I explored the 3 types stress responses, fight-flight-freeze responses.

Fight Stress Responses

Fight response to stress is one way the body responds to stress. When a person can choose to face their problem rather than running away from their problem is called a fight response. With the fight response the primary emotion is anger. The fight response is an automatic reaction that happens in a split second without any conscious thought. When this happens, your brain sends signals throughout your body for it to release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into your bloodstream which gives you energy needed for survival during stressful events such as physical danger or emotional distress.

These hormones help prepare us for quick action by increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and muscle tension while decreasing nonessential functions like digestion and immune system activity so we are ready for anything! However, if these responses happen too often they may lead to long term damage such as high blood pressure, anxiety disorders and depression among other issues over time which makes managing stress even more important than ever before!

Flight Stress Response

Flight response to stress is another way the body respond to stress. The flight stress response involves running away from the problem. The primary emotion for flight response is fear. With the flight response the person simply wants to avoid and flee as quickly as possible.

Freeze Stress Response

The freeze response happens when the amygdala sends signals to our brain stem which then controls muscles in our body including heart rate, blood pressure and breathing patterns. In other words, it’s an autonomic nervous system reaction that helps us protect ourselves from danger or threat.

There are many ways that we can recognize when someone might be experiencing a freeze response, including feeling numb or frozen, difficulty speaking or thinking clearly, feeling rigid or shaky and having an increased heart rate. These symptoms often come up in reaction to perceived danger but not always- sometimes they happen during times of high excitement!  Being aware of these symptoms may also lead you to identify behaviors that need your attention without waiting for them to progress into something more serious like chronic stress.

A stressful event can bring out one of these responses, but not all three. Having a better understanding of the stress response is important to managing your own stress levels and mental health as well as helping others. If you are experiencing emotional distress or feeling overwhelmed by how busy life has become, please connect or call me for help with therapy sessions in person or online – I want to be there every step of the way on this journey!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.