Stress awareness month has been held each April since 1992 in a bid to raise awareness of the causes and cures of stress.
Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain caused by adverse circumstances. It can manifest into emotional, physical or mental symptoms, such as anxiety, panic attacks and feelings of overwhelm - to name a few.
In present times, stress is more prevalent than ever as for most people, daily modern life can be extremely busy.
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In today’s society we thrive on performance, competition and perfection. Most of us have too many obligations and this amount of social/emotional and mental overload can lead to stress.
Stress is a normal emotional response to the demands of life, and at some point of the week everyone experiences it, however, the symptoms of stress may vary in intensity. There are many levels of stress, sometimes presenting as simply a bad mood or unfortunately leading to more complicated illnesses.
Levels of stress
Low level stress is something most of us will experience at some stage. It tends not to be problematic and it can motivate and push us to get things done.
Acute stress can have a harmful affect on our mood, our general wellbeing and can cause adverse issues in our daily life, presenting as irritability, difficulty emotionally regulating or feelings of overwhelm.
Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems and increase the risk of serious health issues such heart attack and stroke.
If low level stress persists without being addressed and managed unfortunately it can build, therefore ignoring the subtle signs of stress can lead into more serious health issues.
It is important to recognise the signs early and to take measures to relief stress feelings.
Common signs of stress
- Feeling more irritable than usual.
- Mood swings, low mood or feeling emotional.
- Tasks you can usually complete may feel unusually overwhelming or difficult.
- Issues with sleep, such as sleeping more or less than usual.
- Cognitive issues such as overthinking, negative thoughts or struggling to make decisions.
- Withdrawal or isolation, avoiding social interaction or feeling disconnected from others/self.
Stress is not to be taken lightly, should you experience any of the above symptoms it can be helpful to implore some measures to reduce stress. Should feelings persist professional help could be necessary.
Managing stress
The first step towards reducing stress is learning what your triggers are. Knowing your stressors can help manage them, allowing you to take extra care of yourself when exposed to your stressors.
Learning these can also help you work on your responses.
The next step is knowing your stress warning signs. What is the first sign of stress for you? This could perhaps be irritability or lack of motivation for the things you usually enjoy.
The final step is knowing your stress reliefers? Discover what eases those feelings of stress and with this in mind, develop a stress management plan.
Implement these coping skills into your week, here are some examples to consider:
- Exercise, even just going out for some fresh air or taking some light physical exercise like going for a walk can really help.
- Eat well, there is a growing amount of evidence showing how food affects our mood and how eating healthily can improve this.
- Deep breaths, taking a few deep breaths when you recognise a feeling of stress can help the body to regulate.
- Take time out, time away from the situation can help, even if this is just for a few moments. Time to yourself regularly can help avoid overwhelm.
- Mediate, meditation is great for reducing stress and clearing the mind, there are some very simple apps such as Headspace App to help you get started if you are new to mediation.
- Do what works for you, take the pressure of yourself, lean on those around you for support, be gentle with yourself during overwhelming times.
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