April is Stress Awareness Month

Everyone deals with stress, no matter how prepared or resilient they are. While some stress can improve performance, it can also negatively impact health and performance. Managing stress is a crucial component of living a healthy lifestyle. Adequate sleep and exercise, proper nutrition, financial management skills, and peer support all help build resilience in the face of daily stressors.

Signs of stress may include irritability, change in diet, lack of interest in usual activities, feeling sad or angry, feeling fearful, trouble concentrating, sleep difficulties, loss of memory, and other symptoms that worsen over time.

Some signs of stress are not visible, and people do not always share that they are feeling overwhelmed. This is why it is so important to recognize what stress looks and sounds like, and to understand the steps to building resilience and finding support.

Using an integrated approach, the Community Counseling Program (CCP) helps equip Marines and families with the skills to address and continue to grow in the face of stressors before they have a significant impact on the performance of duty and relationships.

For assistance in building skills to mitigate stress, the CCP provides free, accessible, high-quality, non-medical counseling services to Marines and their eligible family members. Prepare for and mitigate stress by using resources available through the CCP to boost your personal and professional readiness and enhance your physical and mental wellness.

Finding support in coping with stress will not look the same for everyone. While some might feel comfortable seeking help from the CCP, others might prefer to see a chaplain, or make an anonymous support line call. Whatever the step, take action to get help and get back to healthy living.