National Stress Awareness Day on the first Wednesday in November aims to identify and reduce the stress factors in your life.
We all have stress in our lives. Some stress can be good for us , spurs us on to new things and enables us to reach our goals. However when stress levels cross a natural threshold we can become seriously unwell, mentally and physically.
7 emotional and psychological signs of stress are:
- Depression or anxiety.
- Anger, irritability, or restlessness.
- Feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or unfocused.
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
- Racing thoughts or constant worry.
- Problems with your memory or concentration.
- Making bad decisions.
They say the most stressful things in life are: The death of a loved one, divorce, moving house, major illness or injury and job loss. We will all experience these stressful events in our lives. The issue now is made worse and accelerated by the Coronavirus. Many people are coping with death and major illness whilst being scared for their jobs and the economic future.
If you are experiencing severe symptoms see your GP as soon as possible. Talk to your family and or employer and take a break.
Here are 7 Stress management tips:
- Keep a positive attitude. Easier said than done, but try not to catastrophize. Don’t let your mind jump to the worst case scenarios- they rarely happen. If they do, worrying before it happens won’t help.
- Accept that there are events that you cannot control. We are not in control of the decisions being made by government and scientists to end the pandemic. We can only do our best to stay safe and follow the guidance.
- Be assertive instead of aggressive. Things don’t resolve and get better when we lose our tempers only worse.
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi for stress management. Learning to completely clear your mind is a very powerful tool. You can start simply by sitting in a dark silent room for 10 minutes. Let your mind wander eventually it will clear and you will feel refreshed.
- Exercise regularly. This is my particular favorite. Unfortunately gyms will again be closing. However this is the ideal time to run or briskly walk outdoors for at least 40 minutes. If you like, listen to your favorite rousing music nothing like it for stirring the soul.
- Eat healthy, well-balanced meals. When we are stressed we often snack and pick. Some people are affected the opposite way and eat too little. Eat balanced meals in colour, green, orange and red. Make your plate a quarter protein and a quarter carbohydrate. The other half of your plate should all be vegetables. You’ll be amazed how much better you will feel.
To read more about stress management techniques follow this link
If you need someone to talk to call and refer yourself to the hear to Help project 0121 321 2377 or follow this link to make a referral on line