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Let's talk about stress!

Stress is how we react when put under pressure or threatened, so this would normally be for a situation that we can manage or control. Throughout life, all of us experience some form of stress. This can be often a result of a difficult home life, work, or education or even be caused due to money worries. Those are just a few of the possible common causes but like all things mental health, there are many different things that could lead to someone becoming stressed. How we as individuals cope with that stress is something that can change from person to person too. One person may work better under stress whilst others may struggle more.

Stress is also something that can affect people’s mental health and make the day-to-day much harder for them. This is why we must come together to raise awareness of stress and how we can get through stressful times!

Today, the 1st of November 2023 is Stress Awareness Day! A day entirely dedicated to raising awareness towards the risks of becoming overwhelmed by stress and the negative effects that can have towards our lives. It is also a fantastic opportunity to share resources, coping methods and tips so that we can help one another through stressful periods.

Typically, whilst there are strong links between the two, stress is not directly seen as a mental health problem but instead something that both causes mental health problems or be caused by them.

In small doses, you may find that stress isn’t really having a negative impact on your mental health,

but instead will provide a push to get what you need to do done. However, during times when you are experiencing a considerable amount of stress, where it has all built up for a continuous amount of time you may start to struggle to cope with it.

Here are some common ways that can be utilised throughout the day to help manage your stress levels!

1) Self-Care – It is so important to prioritise your self-care by making time to do activities you enjoy such as reading, being active or even perhaps meditating!

2) Time Management – Breaking tasks up into manageable steps, setting priorities, use to-do lists and calendars to help manage your day-to-day can really help! It can make sure you have a steady path to getting everything you need to do done, without it getting overwhelming.

3) Reach out – There is no harm in reaching out when you need support, whether it be to the people around you or even professional support!

4) Relaxation techniques – Learning relaxation techniques such as mindfulness or breathing exercises can help calm your mind!

5) Maintain a healthy lifestyle – A balanced diet, with a regular sleeping pattern and exercise can be great for looking after both your mental and physical health!

6) Learn to say no – It can be hard to say no sometimes but learning to say no can help make sure we are not taking on more than we can manage and becoming overwhelmed.

Stress Awareness Day is a great reminder that we should prioritise our mental and emotional well-being. Through understanding the sources of stress in our day-to-day lives and using that knowledge to implement effective coping strategies we can better manage stress and maintain a healthier lifestyle! This is not about eliminating stress completely but instead just about finding ways to navigate and cope with it in a healthy manner and get ourselves through the challenges we may experience throughout our lives!

Why not take a moment this Stress Awareness Day to reflect on your stressors and consider the steps you can take to help manage it!

If you are in need of support for your mental health, we here at Burton and District Mind are here for you. We have a variety of different services, each led by our compassionate team, that will suit your needs and give you the support that you deserve!

To find out more information on the services available, please check out our website which you can find here -> https://www.burtonmind.co.uk


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