Stress
Stress can arise for a variety of reasons. Stress can be brought about by a traumatic accident, death, or emergency situation. Stress can also be a side effect of a serious illness or disease. There is also stress associated with daily life, the workplace, and family responsibilities.
From Our Collection
Early Signs of Stress
Stress can take on many different forms, and can contribute to symptoms of illness. Common symptoms include headache, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating, short-temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction, low morale, depression, and anxiety.
Relieving Stress
There are many stress management programs that can teach you about the nature and sources of stress, the effects of stress on health, and personal skills to reduce the effects of stress. Examples of stress reducing skills include time management and physical exercise.
For more serious stress related disorders, like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), research has demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and exposure therapy, in which the patient repeatedly relives the frightening experience under controlled conditions to help him or her work through the trauma. Studies have also shown that medications help ease associated symptoms of depression and anxiety and help promote sleep.
Source: Office on Women's Health - Department of Health and Human Services
Research & Data
Apps
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame
Laugh and learn as you help a Sesame Street monster friend calm down and solve everyday challenges. This bilingual (English & Spanish), research-based app helps your child learn Sesame’s “Breathe, Think, Do” strategy for problem-solving.
FreeCBT
An open source thought diary for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Happify
Brings you effective tools and programs to help you take control of your feelings and thoughts.
Learn MoreInsight Timer
The world's largest library of free guided meditations with 150,000 tracks from psychologists, spiritual leaders and mindfulness teachers.
MindShift CBT
Uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.
Learn MoreSpiral Up
A free neuroscience-based app that helps you process emotions and release stress in minutes.
Learn More
Fact Sheets
Videos
Podcasts
- Grind Culture: Productivity Pressures, Social Media, and Burnout (This Teenage Life)
- Speaking of Psychology: How to Keep Stress from Harming Your Health, with George Slavich, PhD
- Speaking of Psychology: Why Gen Z is Feeling So Stressed, with Emma Adam, PhD
- Stress Management (This Teenage Life)
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos: How to Tame Stress
Trainings
- Just Breathe: Why Breathing is So Effective in Reducing Stress and How It Can Serve as a Tool for Influencing Well-Being (Yale School of Medicine)
- Managing Anxiety and Stress in the Workplace and at Home (McLean Hospital)
- National Trauma-Focused Intern Training (T-FIT) for Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, and Other School Mental Health Trainees (National Center for Safe Supportive Schools)
Curricula & Lesson Plans
- Abby's Broken Wand Storybook
A Sesame Workshop
- Grind Culture: Pressures and Self-Care
A lesson plan from Common Sense Media
- KidsHealth in The Classroom: Stress, Grades 6-8
A teacher's guide from The Nemours Foundation / KidsHealth
- Manage Stress Workbook
From the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Stress and Health: A Six Lesson Unit Plan for High School Psychology Teachers
From the APA
- STRESS LESS: Relaxation Enhancement Group Therapist Manual
From the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Stressed Out Activities
A lesson plan from the National Institute on Drug Abuse