Stress
It’s normal to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety, occasionally. But, the unique structural burdens we experience as Black women mean that sometimes our anxiety feels out of control. Sometimes stress starts to interfere with our mood and our daily responsibilities. When that happens, we need help.
Click the button above or scroll down for resources to lower stress levels.
It’s dangerous to ignore stress and anxiety. Chronic stress (including the stress of discrimination) gets “under our skin” and increases our long-term risk of diseases like chronic kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, and even cancer.
If you feel like stress and anxiety are interfering with your life, it’s important to talk with a therapist, psychiatrist and/or primary care doctor.
You can also join our Wellness Reset Course to better understand where stress comes from, how it hijacks our immune system to increase disease risks, and how we can use everyday habits like eating, exercise, and sleep to combat its harmful effects.
Meanwhile, here are some practices (from Week 2 of our Wellness Reset Course) to help you tackle stress.
Write about your feelings: Journal prompt for stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety test: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Chronic Inflammation: How chronic stress gets “under our skin”
Stress shows up in our bodies by triggering an evolutionary mechanism that converts psychological stress into inflammation. Chronic inflammation increases our risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even cancer.
