Published: April 8, 2022
Good Stress or Bad? Know the Difference
Stress is a normal part of everyday life. But while good stress (called, eustress) pushes us to strive and achieve, bad stress—particularly when it’s severe and/or lasts a long time—is highly destructive to our health.
Rather than feel overwhelmed and defeated, try to turn that bad stress into good. Your outlook can help your level of stress. For more on helping de-stress, read/share WHA’s Stress Less Flyer.
Tips to De-stress
Here are suggestions to manage stress, build in more balance. If you feel overly burdened by the daily slog, practice these tips to reduce stress:
- Talk it out. When under stress, it’s important not to self-isolate—despite the temptation to do so. If you need extra help, Magellan can help find a therapist for you by calling Magellan Health Services at 800.424.1778 or search our mental health providers here.
- Aim to be active. While being active may not seem appealing when you’re stressed, getting some regular exercise will boost your mind/body resilience.
- Take a brief walk – get away from your desk or stressful situation and just go outdoors
- Try yoga – YouTube has yoga classes – from beginning to advanced – to explore
- Virtual CommunityFIT virtual class – there are several new classes online for WHA’s CommunityFIT, so look for the Stress Reset class. Check out the schedule and attend one of our upcoming sessions
- Meditation – try an app or class to learn these techniques, or go to YouTube and Spotify to access and listen to 10-minute meditations
- Learn stress management techniques – Getting organized is a great first step. Check out this article from Magellan to help you get going.
Note: Effective Jan. 1, 2023, WHA’s behavioral health provider is Optum. Please see mywha.org/bh for access to providers and programs. Refer to your 2023 plan documents for details.