Stress is the body’s response to a real or perceived threat. Some stress can be a good thing. It can motivate us to focus on a task or take action and solve a problem. In this situation, stress is manageable and even helpful. Stress becomes a problem when we are not sure how to handle an event or a situation. Then worry sets in, and we feel “stressed.”

Depression is a mental health condition that affects a person’s mood - the way a person feels. Mood impacts the way people think about themselves, relate to others, and interact with the world around them. This is more than a ‘bad day’ or ‘feeling blue.’

Signs of depression include:

• Feeling sad, worthless, hopeless, guilty or anxious most of the time
• Feeling irritable or angry; this may include losing interest in things that you used to enjoy and may also include withdrawing from others
• Difficulty concentrating, focusing on tasks and remembering information; it can be hard to concentrate, learn new things or make decisions
• Changes in eating and sleeping habits and impacts to one’s physical health.

Everyone feels anxious at times. Workplace pressures, demanding schedules or health issues can lead to worry, even fear. However, people suffering from an anxiety disorder have in-tense, prolonged feelings of fright and distress for no obvious reason, and these feelings can seriously impact feelings, thinking and actions.