Today is #NationalStressAwarenessDay. For my first ever blog I shall cover the topic of Stress - something that most of us come into contact with every day.
Stress is a constant in the lives of many of us; in small
amounts it can be useful eg to keep us focussed to meet a deadline. However, prolonged exposure to stress and
stressful situations can have adverse effects.
Common causes of stress are work-related situations:
- a difficult boss or harassment from colleagues
- deadlines or a heavy workload
- a lack of training or a dangerous job
- long hours and a resulting unhealthy lifestyle
- demanding third parties such as customers or suppliers
- Some other causes include illness or emotional problems, financial worries, bereavement, divorce, job loss or a traumatic event
- Make a note of when you feel stressed - the situation that is triggering it, your thoughts and mood
- Do you show any physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, irritability or depression?
- Look at patterns and repeating triggers to identify stressful situations
- Once identified, create a plan to address them
Know how to avoid these
situations, or act to lessen their impact
- Try to address the issue directly - can you ask for more training at work or more flexible working hours; can you speak to someone about difficult work colleagues, perhaps human resources
- Voice your concerns and be more assertive – you have a right to be heard
- Is compromise an option to reduce the stress of the situation
- Can you avoid the situation completely or give up the task for someone else to complete
- Can you break down the trigger into manageable pieces so that the activity no longer causes you to become stressed
- Learn to say ‘No’ – people will respect you for it and will be much less upset than you suspect
- Walk away from stressful situations or count to 10 before reacting; a short period of exercise, such as a 5 minute walk, can be a great way to recalibrate your mood
- If this is not possible, think about whether this will be important to you in 5 years’ time? If not, perhaps it does not warrant the importance you are attaching to it; try to see the bigger picture and focus on the positives
- Try to accept the situation and understand that there are always stressors in life that have to be dealt with or accepted
- Seek help from friends - talk through the issue with friends, family or colleagues that you trust. Not only those that will give you the answer that you want, but someone who might challenge why you feel this way about a particular situation
- If this does not work and the situation continues to feel overwhelming, seek professional support
Coping with Stress
- Eat healthily with a variety of fruit and vegetables, protein and fat
- Take part in regular exercise particularly group activities to release tension
- Set aside time to relax with activities such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing
- Get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis
- Learn to manage your time by prioritising important jobs and being more efficient
- Don’t take on too many tasks by learning to say ‘No’
- Understand that the world is never going to be perfect and you can only do your best; none of us is perfect
- Laugh more!! and find humour in everyday life
But did you know…… Stress can be good
for you!
- Helps boost brainpower – stimulates production of brain chemicals which strengthens connections between neurons
- Short term increase in immunity – produces chemicals that boost immunity temporarily
- Makes you more resilient – you learn to cope with stressful situations
- Motivates you to succeed – helps to focus your mind to a specific task or deadline, and can make you more creative
- Exercise involves a good form of stress, on the body, and has positive results, such as the release of endorphins
Leave a comment and let me know if my article helped you!
