Stress Awareness Month

April is 'Stress Awareness Month', an annual event dedicated to increasing public awareness about the causes of stress and ways to manage it. (1)

Everyday life can be extremely demanding, work, caring responsibilities, bills, chores...the list is practically endless. When these demands can feel excessive and like they are getting out of hand, they can result in stress.

Stress impacts how we feel physically and emotionally, and the way we process information. Without a break or recovery from it, it can impact our long-term health.

“74% of people in the UK have said stress has made them feel overwhelmed and unable to cope”, Research conducted by YouGov for Mental Health Foundation (2018). (2)

What is Stress?

Stress is a mental and physical response to a real or perceived danger. Stress can trigger the release of hormones that prepare the body in the face of danger, often referred to as the fight-or-flight response. These physical changes are important evolutionary adaptations, excellent for responding to moments of acute stress to ensure our survival.

When everyday stressors persist and we can’t fight or flee, we can often be left in a continuous fight-or-flight response. Eventually, our body becomes unable to meet the energy demands of reacting to extreme stress.

Experiencing long-term stress can result in burnout, a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

What can burnout look like?

• Physical exhaustion: Fatigue, insomnia, poor concentration, illness, loss of appetite, anxiety, depression, anger

• Emotional exhaustion: Diminished mood, lack of motivation, guilt, worthlessness, changes in eating patterns, suicidal ideation

• Loss of personal accomplishment: Loss of enjoyment, pessimism, sarcasm (in excess), isolation, detachment

• Use of alcohol/non-prescribed medications, illicit substances

• Depersonalisation: Apathy, irritability, low productivity (3)

How can we counter-balance stress?

Counselling may help you to identify patterns which activate your body's stress response and find ways to relieve your stress. (4)

There are also stress-reducing techniques which can help reduce your levels of stress, such as meditation, mindfulness, or yoga. (5) Relaxation, social interaction, and physical activity help the body to return to normal physiological rhythms following the stresses in our day-to-day lives. (6)

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to stress relief, so counselling may help you to understand yourself better and find soothing techniques which work for you.

Thinking of booking a session? You can learn more about our counsellors at the Empathy Project here. If you'd like to get started, check out our self-referral form below:

Start Here - Counselling Referral Form

Resources:

There are several free resources available if you're interested in learning more about stress and ways to manage it.

HelpGuide.org provides a guide to different techniques and strategies to deal with stress.

Mind also provides information about ways you can help yourself and how to get support.

References: