Stress Management in Madison, WI
Different Types of Stress:
Who hasn’t been impacted by stress in their lifetime? Let’s face it, stress is a part of our
everyday lives and it is unavoidable. You can experience stress with many different situations
such as juggling work and personal responsibilities, cramming for an exam, getting into a
conflict with someone, getting married, and so on. The stress response is activated to help you
get through both positive and negative situations. It can help you accomplish a personal goal,
keep a job, or achieve the desired grade. It can also help humans and animals out of dangerous
and harmful situations, known as the “fight or flight” response.
It can be helpful to know that there are different types of stress when trying to manage stress.
When we hear the word “stress” we often think of distress. Distress is the bad-feeling stress
that shows up in circumstances like losing a job, facing discrimination, getting behind on bills,
going through a divorce, and a loved one becoming ill or dying. It is not as common to know
that there is good-feeling stress too.
Positive stress is called eustress and it is when our stress response is engaged when paired with joyous occasions. For some, this may be going on a first date, finding out that you are expecting a child, riding an amusement park ride, or starting a new job.
Another type of stress is acute stress, where the body’s stress response is activated only for a short amount of time- you are stuck in traffic or have three different tasks to do at once. When acute stress occurs over and over, then this is called acute episodic stress- you are stuck in traffic every day or you rush to meet deadlines at the end of each month.
Lastly, there is chronic stress where the body’s stress response remains engaged for long periods of time, such as when experiencing poverty or caring for a family member who has a chronic health condition.
When our stress response is activated by distress for too long and too often, then it can take a
toll on our health. This is why it is important to get some support around managing your stress
level.
Tools for Coping with Stress in Madison, WI Can Be Used For a Range of Mental Health
Stress Symptoms and Concerns:
As mentioned, we have all experienced stress to varying degrees. Likely we can readily identify a
few instances where stress got the best of us. Maybe you yelled at a friend, snapped at your
partner, sped to work, or turned to harmful habits. Here are just a few ways in which stress can
impact us:
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Irritability, frustration, anger
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Exhaustion and fatigue
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Physical pain, headaches, migraines
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Muscle tension, clenched jaw
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Feeling discontent with people or areas in your life
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Interpersonal conflict and tension
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Feeling pressured
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Burnout and dissatisfaction at work or school
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Nervous habits (ie: nail-biting, fidgeting)
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Using substances
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Eating more or less than you typically do
Key Tools for Stress Management in Madison, WI:
The good thing is that there are many healthy ways to manage stress! It can be easy to come up
with a few common ones (ie: walking, yoga, spending time with a friend, mindfulness, reading). It can often be easier said than done when it comes to utilizing these techniques and we are often left with no time or energy to use them. Maybe you have even tried different techniques and nothing has helped to reduce your stress level.
In any case, if areas of your life are being significantly impacted by stress, then it might be a
good time for you to seek therapy services for stress management in Madison, WI. Here are some treatment approaches that might help you improve your stress management skills, as well as resolve underlying fears, thoughts, or worries that increase your stress level and address any potential issues that result from feeling stressed (ie: getting into arguments, grades dropping, etc.):
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Somatic Experiencing and other somatic approaches including movement, yoga poses,
and breath-work
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Motivational Interviewing
Stress Management in Madison, WI at Golden Vibes Counseling!
Our Madison, WI-based therapists are knowledgeable and skilled at drawing on techniques
from various treatment approaches to help you build your toolkit for coping with stress. Our
therapists can help people from all across the state of Wisconsin through telehealth services.
Getting Support with Stress Management in Madison, WI:
We can all benefit from some extra support with the things we all experience, like stress.
Learning new coping skills, recreating self-care routines, addressing underlying anxiety or
depression, coming up with practical solutions, and even just venting about what is stressing
you out. We can help you build resilience towards stress in your life. At our Madison, WI therapy
practice, we have skilled therapists who offer strategies to help you improve your stress
management skills. If you think that working on stress management could be helpful for you to
try, then:
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1. Call our office at 608-571-0558 or e-mail us to make an
appointment at Contactus@goldenvibescounseling.com
2. Talk with our Client Care Coordinator to find the right therapist for you
3. Start using tools that can help you have less stressful days!
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More Mental Health Services at Golden Vibes Counseling Center:
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At our Madison, WI therapy practice, we want you to feel comfortable with your care. We know
you are a multi-faceted person with a wide range of needs and concerns. That's why we have a
lot of different ways to serve you. From therapy in our chic, contemporary counseling space to
expert online counseling in Wisconsin, we are ready to meet you where you are.
Our professional therapists can help you using a variety of approaches including CBT, EMDR,
, ACT, Art therapy, Mindfulness, Somatic Experiencing, Yoga Therapy, and Brainspotting. These methods can help with sexual assault recovery, anxiety therapy, child therapy, adolescent therapy, college students, psychoeducational assessments, trauma therapy and PTSD treatment, OCD treatment, depression treatment, reproductive or maternal mental health, and multicultural counseling. We also specialize in LGBTQAI+ counseling and poly-affirming therapies and can assist with gender-affirming care​. We truly look forward to meeting you and getting to know you as an individual.
