Weekly Quiz

Take the Week 6 Quiz here.

Round 3: Submit Results Now

Monday, February 6 - Sunday, February 19
Deadline for submitting results: Monday, February 27.

You're halfway there! We have reached the midpoint of this year's Get Moving Challenge. Congrats to you on all of your progress up to this point! Remember, progress is individual and personal! Whatever you have achieved, that's progress!

Stress is a physical and emotional reaction that people experience as they encounter challenges in life. Stress is in your everyday life but it's important to remember that too much stress can cause consequences to your health. When you're under stress, your body reacts by releasing hormones that produce the “fight-or-flight” response. Your heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure go up, your muscles tense, and you sweat more. 

Take a moment to notice how you feel and why you feel the way that you do in that moment. You often hear the word stress but what do you do when you feel stressed?

According to HelpGuide, effective stress management helps you break the hold stress has on your life, so you can be happier, healthier, and more productive. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun—and the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

Tips for stress management:

• Identify the stressors in your life (start a stress journal)
• Practice the 4A's of stress management (avoid, alter, adapt & accept)
• Get moving (physical activity is a huge stress reliever; exercise releases endorphins that makes you feel good)
• Make time for fun and relaxation (set aside time for things that you enjoy doing)
• Maintain balance with a healthy lifestyle (healthy diet and sleep can increase your resistance to stress)
• Learn to relieve stress in the moment (breathing techniques and mindfulness mediatation) 

It is important to remember it takes practice to see improvement in your daily life. Duke offers services to help you manage your stress. You can find out more information on the Duke Personal Assistance Service website and you can also watch this video: How to make stress your friend.