Find out how to improve your mental state and move on after a stressful house fire

A house fire, including the entire process of rebuilding or selling a fire-damaged house, can be a very traumatic event whether the damage inflicted on a house is minor or severe. One of the biggest keys to picking up the pieces after a house fire is to take steps to ensure good mental health.

That’s because suffering a house fire can be very stressful and stress is damaging to both your mental and physical health. That means following a house fire you need to carefully analyze your stress level.

Are you feeling basic stress … or is there something more to your anxiety?

If you don’t take steps to alleviate your stress do you think you could be destined to suffer a mental breakdown or anxiety attack?

These are important questions to consider.

Everyone knows that too much stress is bad for your health

Stress is one of the main factors in most illnesses, although most patients do not realize it is the cause until after they are under a doctor’s care.

A small amount of stress is a regular, normal part of everyday life. We face it by waiting in line at the grocery store, fighting rush hour traffic or by dealing with family issues.

Some stress is simply unavoidable, but how much is unhealthy?

To understand how much is too much, it is first essential to identify what stress is. Stress is the way your body handles change, emotion, and the world around us. Needless to say suffering a house fire can be a big stressor.

Stress then takes a toll on your body internally, by making you feel tired, worn down, and generally “burnt out.”

Some people use their energy to better combat stress than others.  For example, some people enjoy going non-stop all day long, while others need to relax after a full day of work.  You will start to feel stressed when your energy level is low and you are unable to continue handling interactions.

What does “burnt out” mean? The first symptom of being stressed out is a mix of emotions; you will be tired and depressed one moment, and anxious and restless the next.

How do you know if you have too much stress in your life?

Some common indicators that stress levels that are too high include:

• Insomnia, or inability to achieve a restful night’s sleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Lack of appetite, or
• Physical symptoms that include skin breakouts, weight fluctuation, and oily hair.

If you cannot function normally in your life because of your stress, then immediate stress reduction is necessary.

Some stress is good. It is that extra motivation we sometimes need to get our “to-do” list done, meet work deadlines, and get through life. The healthiest way to manage stress is to constantly manage the level of stress in your life to ensure that you are getting enough of the things that bring you happiness as well.

This is especially following such a negative event as a house fire. Be sure to take time to decompress and have some fun to get your mind of what has just happened.

The best way to manage stress is to pay attention to how you handle stressful situations, and make sure you are doing it in a way that is healthy and productive. Make sure that you don’t deal with stress by overeating, smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or any other self destructive behaviors.

When creating your stress management plan, create a list of activities that make you relaxed and happy. Do you like fishing, gardening, reading a book? Make the list and select one thing a day to do.  By making a conscious point to invest time in yourself, you will find it brings you relaxation in an otherwise stressful world.

Failure to do this and properly manage your stress following a house fire can lead to a panic attack.

There are several signs that you are having a panic attack:

• Your heart rate increases, sometimes to the point of pain.
• You have trouble breathing.
• You will become dizzy and nauseous.
• You hands become cold, clammy, and numb.
• You are overwhelmingly fearful. The fear may be of dying, loss of control, or something else. Many attacks are described as terrifying.
• You feel like you are having an out-of-body experience. This depersonalization is a major part of anxiety attacks.
• You feel hot or cold flashes.

A panic attack typically involves an increased respiration rate, which causes the heart rate to escalate. This changes the fine balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen, which instinctually triggers panicky feelings of fear, because the body thinks it is suffocating.

Here’s more about panic attacks

There are many unexplained aspects of panic attacks. Some people believe that they are inherited from family members. There are scientific tests that have shown specific genes are present in people that experience panic attacks. These genes have mutated in a way that causes the brain to not respond normally to situations.

A panic attack typically involves an increased respiration rate, which causes the heart rate to escalate. This changes the fine balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen, which instinctually triggers panicky feelings of fear, because the body thinks it is suffocating.

It is important to handle panic attacks as soon as you begin to have them because they can quickly become a disorder that takes over your life. By seeking professional help, you will be able to work with someone who will know how to treat you in this common situation.

The symptoms of a panic attack

There are several signs that you are having a panic attack, including:

• Your heart rate increases, sometimes to the point of pain.
• You have trouble breathing.
• You will become dizzy and nauseous.
• You hands become cold, clammy, and numb.
• You are overwhelmingly fearful. The fear may be of dying, loss of control, or something else. Many attacks are described as terrifying.
• You feel like you are having an out-of-body experience. This depersonalization is a major part of anxiety attacks.
• You feel hot or cold flashes.

Five tips for managing stress following a house fire

• Meditation
• Release energy through exercise
• Breathe deeply
• Manage your time effectively
• Spend time laughing

Selling your fire-damaged house “as is” can also be a stress reliever

Repairing a fire damaged house can be a stressful ordeal in and of itself. There are often project delays, cost overruns and more issues that arise.

To avoid a stressful repair process, you can sell your fire-damaged house as is to We Buy Fire Damaged Houses. Fill out the form below to get started.