It can show up in many different ways just like physical, emotional and behavioral stress.  It can also have symptoms that may differ for each person.  To add to this, women and men can experience it differently too.  This can be due to a combination of factors, such as biological, psychological and sociocultural.  If we look further into these areas one can see how our responses can be influenced by hormonal changes, biological vulnerabilities, or even through our social and/or cultural roles where we live.  There are many factors that can come into play for us.

However, it is important to be aware of how we are being affected so that we can be proactive in reducing and maybe eliminating the effects.

Here are some common symptoms to be aware of:

1. Constant worrying
2. Racing thoughts
3. Poor judgment
4. Inability to focus
5. Brain fog, difficulty with thinking and remembering
6. Forgetfulness and disorganization
7. Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side

As with the previous stresses, there are quite a few strategies that can be put into practice to help manage cognitive stress.  The first consideration as always is to recognize and identify the sources of your stress that you are responding to.  It can be a person, place or situation.  It can even be a combination of these.

Interestingly the strategies you will see, which are just a few of them, you have been exploring for the last while and can be very helpful for dealing with cognitive stress as well.  Here are some of them for continued consideration:

1. Prayerful journaling to write down your thoughts and feelings to gain a visual perspective, by releasing them on paper can be very helpful.
2. Challenge those unhelpful pesky negative thoughts and give yourself pep talks to replace these thoughts with positive ones.  Even better yet, do this out loud so your ears can hear too.
3. Take breaks from devices, screens and most importantly the internet.  Make time for technology detox.  It will make a world of good for your mind and life.
4. Get moving more through physical activities, whether walking or exercising.  This can reduce stress and improve your overall well-being.
5. As always, create and maintain a regular sleep schedule along with a comfortable sleep environment to get good quality and adequate sleep.
6. Work on your time management.  Prioritize your tasks and set realistic goals to avoid being overwhelmed.  Also this will help you be able to say no to jobs that are not yours to take on.
7. Find enjoyable activities that make you laugh.  Laughter is truly a wonderful antidote for releasing tension.

Remember it is normal to experience stress from time to time, but not if it becomes chronic and creates negative effects on your health and well-being.  If it does and it becomes unmanageable or is seriously impacting your life, please consider and seek professional help through therapy or counselling.

If you would like my support, please reach out.  I am here, just ask.

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