Control Stress

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Here, we would like to start, by giving you an introduction to what stress is, what the signs of stress are, what simple steps you can take when feeling stressed and provide practical advice for preventing it, to show why we are passionate about moving towards a less stressed nation.

What is stress?

Stress is a feeling of being under abnormal pressure. This pressure can come from different aspects of your day to day life. Such as an increased workload, a transitional period, an argument you have with your family or new and existing financial worries. You may find that it has a cumulative effect, with each stressor building on top of one another.

During these situations you may feel threatened or upset and your body might create a stress response. This can cause a variety of physical symptoms, change the way you behave, and lead you to experience more intense emotions.

Stress affects us in a number of ways, both physically and emotionally and in varying intensities.

How can I identify the signs of stress?

Everyone experiences stress. However, when it is affecting your life, health and wellbeing, it is important to tackle it as soon as possible, and while stress affects everyone differently, there are common signs and symptoms you can look out for:15

feelings of constant worry or anxiety

feelings of being overwhelmed

difficulty concentrating

mood swings or changes in your mood

difficulty relaxing

depression

low self-esteem

eating more or less than usual

changes in your sleeping habits

aches and pains, particularly muscle tension

Three steps to take when feeling stressed

1. Realise when it is causing you a problem

Try to make the connection between feeling tired or ill and the pressures you are faced with

Look out for physical warnings such as tense muscles, over-tiredness, headaches or migraines38

2. Identify the causes

Try to identify the underlying causes

Sort the possible reasons for your stress into three categories 1) those with a practical solution 2) those that will get better given time and 3) those you can’t do anything about

Try to release the worry of those in the second and third groups and let them go

3. Review your lifestyle

Could you be taking on too much?

Are there things you are doing which could be handed over to someone else?

Can you do things in a more leisurely way?

To act on the answer to these questions, you may need to prioritise things you are trying to achieve and re-organise your life

This will help to release pressure that can come from trying to do everything at once

How can you help yourself?

Stress is a natural reaction to many situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and money problems.

We mentioned earlier on that a moderate amount of stress can help us perform better in challenging situations,34 but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems. This can include lower immunity levels,35 digestive and intestinal difficulties, e.g. irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),36 or mental health problems such as depression.37 It is therefore important that we manage our stress and keep it at a healthy level to prevent long-term damage to our bodies and minds.