All About Stress

Stress can be caused by so many different things. Something that may bring stress to one person may be a challenge or an opportunity to someone else. We are all individuals when it comes to stress. So signs and symptoms often vary a lot from person to person. The most common causes of stress today can be:

•  Divorce/Separation
•  Moving House
•  Loosing a job
•  Bereavement
•  Major changes in lifestyle
•  Going into further education
•  Time pressures
•  Financial Difficulties
•  Caring for a person full time
•  Not enjoying the job you do
•  Pregnancy
•  Poor diet and nutrition

Stress is the most common cause of illnesses today. Although small amounts of stress in our life can be good to keep us on our toes lots of stress can result in serious illness. It is important that we take notice of mild symptoms of stress and deal with it before it becomes chronic.It is thought that sick days cost the UK economy up to 13 billion pounds a year with people taking 11 days a year off on average. The effects of this can be very damaging for industry, particularly small businesses.

The effects of suffering with stress over a long period of time can have many detrimental effects to our health, such as: - Heart Attack, High Blood Pressure, Substance Misuse, High Cholesterol, Loss of Libido, Bad Sleep Patterns, Allergies and Skin Irritations, IBS, and Stroke!So as you can see, it is important to catch stress in the early stages.

Symptoms of stress can occur in our thoughts, feelings or our physical body and can cause an imbalance in all three. Symptoms to look out for are:

Emotionally you may have feelings of being: -

• Anxious
• Moody
• Unable to concentrate
• Scared
• Confused
• Distracted
• Irritable
• On a short fuse

You may have thoughts of: -

• Low self esteem
• Low self worth
• Failing
• Worry about the future
• Being overwhelmed by tasks
• Preoccupied by thoughts
• General negativity
• Forgetfulness

Physically you may experience: -

• Lots of headaches
• Dizziness
• Broken sleep
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Back and neck ache
• Frequent coughs and colds
• Anxious feelings in the stomach
• Digestive/ Urinary problems
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Over eating or loss of appetite
• Sweaty or clammy hands/feet
• Dry mouth
• Crying lots
• Speech difficulties
• Being easily startled
• Teeth Grinding
• Nervous laughing
• Increase in smoking
• Increase in alcohol or drug use

Often when stress becomes chronic, it is harder to recognise. This is because the body becomes used to living under stressed conditions and a person will feel fine for a few weeks and then have one week when they feel enormously stressed and then they feel back to normal again. This normal however is still a stressed state.

How to Manage Stress

Dealing with stress can initially be difficult but when steps are taken to eradicate it there is often a snowball effect and it is quite easy to get back on track. Firstly the cause of stress needs to be identified. This isn't always easy. It may be that the source cannot be pinpointed at all. This may mean that there are a number of things accumulating to cause stress. Some actions that can be taken to deal with stress are as follows:-

Eat a healthy diet - We are what we eat. Food can have a BIG effect on our moods

Try exercising - This is a good way to stimulate serotonin the happy hormone. It is also a good way to relive tension.

Take up a hobby- this is a good way to help focus your mind. Doing something you enjoy can be very rewarding.

Find a good Work/Life balance- Try to leave work at work and don't bring it home with you.

Positive thinking- Yes, it really works! Try having a positive outlook each day.

Meditation- Try to clear your mind for ten minutes a day and get in touch with your inner self.

Communicate with people- Tell people when you're feeling down. Don't keep it bottled up inside.

Lifestyle changes- if you're not happy with your job, relationship, home etc, do something about it. Make a change!

Treat yourself- Do something for yourself to help you to unwind. This could be as simple as having a nice bath with candles.

Use relaxation techniques- some techniques are given below.

Relaxation Techniques

Breathing Exercises

If you are ever feeling very anxious of panicked, simply taking a few deep breaths can have an amazing effect. One very simple technique is:-

1. Close one nostril with a finger.
2. Take a deep breath in through the clear nostril.
3. Take the air into the pit of your stomach.
4. Try to keep breathing in for four seconds.
5. Hold the breath for a couple of seconds (four seconds is ideal).
6. Release your finger from the nostril and cover the other one.
7. Slowly breath out through the other nostril.
8. Try to keep the breath going for four seconds.
9. Repeat this exercise for however long you feel it is necessary.

This is almost instantly soothing to body and mind

Meditation Technique

1. Find a nice quiet, safe place where you wont be interrupted.
2. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
3. Make sure your legs and arms aren't folded or crossed.
4. Close your eyes and start to take really deep breaths.
5. Become aware of your breathing, making sure it is deep and slow.
6. In your minds eye picture a beautiful relaxing place. This could be a lush meadow, green forest or your own private beach or garden.
7. Visualise small details about the place that you are in such as beautiful flowers, the crashing of waves or the gentle rustle of trees.
8. Try to become absorbed in the beauty of your place and just let yourself be there.
9. Try to feel like you are absorbing the health and beauty of the place that you are in.
10. All the time be aware of your breathing.

You may find meditation a little difficult to begin with. If your mind wanders away from the scene just stop and go right back. Meditation helps to slow down a rushing mind. The deep breathing also calms the body and supplies it with more oxygen. It is good practice to meditate every day even if it's just for ten minutes!