AUSTIN, Texas — The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) under Austin Public Health is launching a public health education campaign to teach residents about stress in an effort to stop stress from leading to violent outcomes.
The "Address Your Stress" campaign explains the body's stress response and teaches short and long-term prevention methods.
“No one is alone in feeling stress right now,” Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup said. “Normalizing this experience can keep people from feeling isolated and stuck in this hard place. Getting some perspective on stress and how to navigate it gives us hope that tomorrow can be better than today as it keeps us from escalating our conflicts into violent confrontations.”
The campaign features radio, digital and bus ads, social media posts and outreach tactics that highlight increased stress across the community and direct residents to learn more by going to the campaign website. The site provides information, advice and links to find help, both to cope with stress and handle stressful situations.
“We all need help,” Michelle Myles, manager of OVP, said. “When we constantly operate within our stress response, we have limited access to critical thinking and the heightened senses in our body that wears us out. Add in an acute stressor and interpersonal conflict, and you have a recipe for violence that could have been prevented if cooler minds prevailed.”
The website informs residents how stress can impact their brains and bodies without them being aware.
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