April 2026 | In Honor of National Stress Awareness Month

April 6, 2026

We all experience stress. Stress is our body’s natural response to challenging or unfamiliar situations, which means it’s a totally normal experience every human will have. But according to a 2024 study, stress is increasing globally, while a 2025 study notes that chronic stress can have large negative consequences for physical health (leading to a number of physical conditions including heart problems) and is also linked to anxiety disorders and depression. So although some stress in life is to be expected, the rise of stress’ negative impact all over the world is cause for concern.

Our ability to influence and mitigate the things that cause stress in our lives is limited. Economic and geopolitical factors are largely beyond our individual means of changing and global events increasingly affect us on a personal level. That 2024 study concluded that countries should be working to improve at the society level to help reduce citizens’ stress levels. It’s a wonderful recommendation and goal, but until it’s headed, how can we improve our lives when it comes to persistent stress?

This is where developing individual skills around managing stress is essential. Things like Cognitive Restructuring, which helps individuals identify and change ineffective or negative thinking patterns, and Controlled Breathing techniques, which help to regulate your body in stressful moments, are among several techniques that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches that can lead to an improvement in individual stress experiences. If you’re struggling with managing stress in your life, our therapists are ready to help you develop these and other important CBT skills.