SELF HARM: If you or someone you know is thinking about hurting yourself or committing suicide, call or text 988 immediately or chat online at 988lifeline.org.

Stress comes from the outside. It is a physical or mental response to something outside your physical body, an external source.

Stress comes from many sources: performance in school or at work, traumatic events (a natural disaster, an act of violence, the recent pandemic), and even normal life events like getting married or buying a house.

Sometimes stress can be a short-term or a one-time occurrence. Sometimes, stress is a good thing. Think about how stress has helped you get something done you didn’t really want to do.

But for many folks, a lot of times, stress happens repeatedly and for a long time in their lives.

Stress should go away once the situation is resolved. I feel it doesn’t and you find yourself reacting to stress, you may be feeling depressed, or anxious.

Anxiety is not the same as stress. Anxiety is the internal feelings — the reaction to stress. The body reacts to the stress even when there is no longer a threat. If the feeling of apprehension, dread or being overwhelmed interferes with daily life, this can have major negative effects on the body.

Anxiety can lead to trouble with sleeping (too much or not enough), immune, digestive, cardiovascular, reproductive health issues, and many more issues.

Stress and anxiety can both wreak havoc on the mind and body. Ways to cope are different for everyone, but here are a few: keep a journal, download a relaxation app, exercise and eat well, speak positively to and about yourself, avoid caffeine and make plans with friends.