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Tag: Stress Awareness Month

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April is Stress Awareness month. To learn about the ways stress impacts us and what we can do to reduce stress, check out the comic below:

Rebecca: So, Image: Image: Rebecca, a librarian with pale skin, dark brown hair and glasses stands in front of a window. The window is covered with curtains that depict a cartoony sunny day with flowers and a stick figure fishing. A tuxedo cat is playing with the curtain.
Page 1, Panel 2: Rebecca: Sometimes life can be very stressful. Image: Rebecca stands in front of the same window, but the curtains have been torn away by the cat leaving only scraps of the original hanging from the curtain rod. We can now see out the window where Godzilla and Mothra are fighting in a city on fire as a man runs by screaming. The cat below looks perplexed, covered in what’s left of the curtain.
Page 1, Panel 3: Rebecca: April is National Stress Awareness month, and in an effort to bring awareness to stress and the problems it causes, I thought it best to speak to a veteran champion in being stressed; me. Image: Rebecca stands on a podium, looking stressed, giving a thumbs up. Next to her, text says -started grad school during covid + health crisis - moved cross country knowing no one in the area -got first grey hair at 16.
Page 1, Panel 4 Narration: But what is stress exactly? The term has plenty of usage even in the medical field: heat stress or oxidative stress are different than the stress we’ll be discussing today. Image: A cartoonish sun with a face, arms and legs, sits on a therapy couch, speaking to a therapist. We can only see the back of the therapists head. Sun: Everyone just expects me to be bright all the time, you know?
Page 1, Panel 5: Narration: According to the World HEalth Organization, “Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation(1). Stress comes from the flight or fight response that our ancestors used to survive (). Image: A caveman with tan skin and brown hair looks up at a spotted hyena with alarm in a rocky area.
Page 1, Panel 6: Narration: You can experience stress from all sorts of things: the news, your job, your relationships, or any other day to day problems. It’s a normal part of daily living. Image: A man with tan skin and short brown hair holds up a bunch of boxes, each labeled with a different stressor. They include: debt, household chores, current news
Page 1, Panel 7: Narration: However, when stress becomes chronic, it becomes unhealthy as stress impacts your body in numerous ways. Image: The man from earlier is now smushed under all the boxes with his legs sticking out. There are more boxes in addition to the previous ones: weird rash, rent cost rising, out of town guests, work project. His ghost floats next to the boxes and says “aww man”
Page 1, Panel 8: Narration: One side effect of chronic stress is muscle tension which can lead to back pain and headaches. Image: An older Black man with a receding hairline is shown with two mini construction workers labeled “stress” drilling on the top of his head. He says “ugh my head is killing me.”
Panel 9: Narration: Chronic stress can impact “all expressions of heart disease (3).” It can increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Image: A cartoon heart with arms and legs points at a vase. It says Heart: “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is known for being stress-induced. It gets its name from a type of octopus trap in Japan (4).”
Panel 10 Narration: The sensation of “butterflies” in your stomach is a way stress impacts the gastrointestinal system. It is also implicated as a factor in IBS (3). Image: A woman with dark brown skin and black hair up in a ponytail is shown in a bathroom holding her stomach looking uncomfortable. She says Woman: Butterflies? This feels more like a swarm of wasps.
Panel 11 Narration: Chronic stress can also suppress parts of the immune system (5). Image: A large man with red hair and a sweater sits at his office chair with a box of tissues and cough drops. Man: I swear I get the worst colds every exam season.
Panel 12 Image: Rebecca speaks to the audience. Rebecca: So what do we do about stress? Well, there are plenty of ways to relieve stress.
Panel 13 Narration: Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. It doesn’t have to be much, a simple walk outside can help relieve stress. Image: A Black woman wearing exercise clothing and her hair up in a bun, runs through a nice park path.
Panel 14 Narration: Try taking time away from social media, especially if you find yourself doomscrolling. Image: An Anthropomorphized cell phone is shown contained in a small jail cell. Cell phone: Come on, don’t you wanna see why everyone is cooler than you?
Panel 15 Narration: Engaging in relaxing activities like your hobbies can help. Image: Rebecca gestures with both hands to a blue sweater with a whale on it. Rebecca: I made this!
Panel 16: Narration: And general healthy habits like eating right- Image: A plethora of different fruits and veggies are shown
Panel 17: Panel 9: Narration: And getting enough sleep can aid in reducing stress. Image: The cat from earlier is shown sleeping on her cat bed, fast asleep.
Panel 18 Narration: It’s also important to reach out to others when stressed. A social support system can make things less overwhelming. Image: Two scenes are shown. On the left, a man with pale skin and freckles enters a house and waves to an older woman who looks to be his mother. On the right, two friends with darker skin play video games, the one with his hair in braids talking while the other, who has an afro and glasses, places his hand on the other’s shoulder.
Panel 19 Narration:Of course, it’s critical to properly identify the cause of stress. Image: The man with braids from earlier is shown thinking
Panel 20 Narration: Some stressors are out of our control, but others can be reduced by asking for help, or removing yourself from the situation. Image: Two thought bubbles are shown. On the left, it is labeled ‘can control” with the following list: dishes in sink, too busy this week, lights too bright, too little sleep. On the right, it is labeled “can’t control” with the following list: have to move, final, the economy, minority stress.
Panel 21 Narration: For ones out of your control, reach out and ask for help to support you. Image: The man with braids, his friend with glasses and a woman with red hair up in a ponytail, all help carry moving boxes. The man with glasses looks nervous as he picks up a box labeled “fragile” Man with braids: My movers cancelled on me, so I called some friends to help!
Panel 22 Narration: If stress persists, or you’re not sure what’s causing it, consider seeing a professional. Image: A doctor with black hair and tan skin stands in her office with her hands in her pockets. Doctor: Your GP is a good place to start.”
Panel 23 Narration: They can help provide tips on how to handle stress and/or see if there is something else going on. If you feel anxious for no clear reason, or more anxious than you should be over a stressor, it could be a type of anxiety disorder. Image: A woman with brown skin wearing a pink hijab, clutches her arm. Behind her are many thought bubbles which contain a variety of anxious thoughts, so many that they cloud the panel.
panel 24: Narration: Remember: a little stress is a normal part of everyday life. It’s when stress becomes chronic that we run into problems. So don’t be afraid to ask for help and take time to focus on yourself when needed. Image: A cell phone group chat is shown with the following message log T: Hey I’m super swamped after work today. Can someone else pick up chips for the party? C: Yeah, I’m on it man, no worried. T: You are my hero: <3
Panel 25 Narration: Some stressors are beyond our control. But together we can take care of one another, and maybe find ways to reduce stress for everyone. Image: A party in someone’s backyard featuring a wide variety of the characters from the comic is shown, including the ghost. A sign says “congrats on the move!”

SOURCES: 

  1.  Stress. World Health Organization. February 21, 2023. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress.
  2. LeWine H. Understanding the stress response. Harvard Health. April 3, 2024. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response.
  3. Christensen JF. Stress & Disease. In: Feldman MD, Christensen JF, Satterfield JM, Laponis R. eds. Behavioral Medicine: A Guide for Clinical Practice, 5e. McGraw-Hill Education; 2019. Accessed April 08, 2025. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2747&sectionid=230251928
  4. Lakdawala NK, Stevenson L, Loscalzo J. Cardiomyopathy and Myocarditis. In: Loscalzo J, Fauci A, Kasper D, Hauser S, Longo D, Jameson J. eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21e. McGraw-Hill Education; 2022. Accessed April 08, 2025. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=3095&sectionid=265451824
  5. Shields GS, Spahr CM, Slavich GM. Psychosocial Interventions and Immune System Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77(10):1031–1043. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0431
  6. Alvord M, Halfond R. What’s the difference between stress and anxiety? American Psychological Association. February 14, 2022. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/anxiety-difference.
  7. Managing stress. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 16, 2024. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/living-with/index.html.
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