Is Stress Contagious?

When your boss is having a meltdown, your spouse is in midlife crisis or your child’s panicked about a failing grade, are you bound to get all tensed-up as well?

Stress definitely can be contagious, says family medicine physician Amy Steigerwalt, D.O., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “It depends partly on your personality,” she says. “People with heightened sensitivity can be set off more easily by someone else’s mood.”

Susceptible or not, what matters about stress is how you cope with it, says Jamie Bongiovi, a licensed clinical social worker at the hospital. Here’s how to protect yourself from a stress “infection”:

Have calm-down strategies in place. Hobbies, exercise, time with friends, a hot bath, meditation—“figure out what works for you,” Bongiovi says, “so you’re ready when stress threatens.”

Communicate. If someone’s behavior is affecting you, let him know without being accusatory. Focus on “This is how I’m feeling” rather than “It’s your fault.”

Resist the fix-it urge. You can support the stressed person by being a good listener or suggesting resources, but don’t feel responsible for solving her problems. “Your goal,” Steigerwalt says, “is to help her help herself.”

And if the stressed person is you? To protect loved ones from catching it, let them know what’s going on. “It’s much less worrisome,” Bongiovi says, “if they can match your behavior with an outside stressor instead of wondering, ‘Was it something I did?’ ” Then, put your stress-busting strategies to work and go easy on yourself. (Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be perfect!) If you’re consistently stressed, seek professional help. Long-term stress can affect your relationships, career and health.

Want to Know More about stress-management programs at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network? Call 610-402-CARE.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, November-December 2007

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