Stress is a natural part of life. It helps you cope with the challenges of daily life. A small amount of stress can help you to deal with things going on around you.
All kinds of things cause stress, and some people are more likely to be affected by it than others.
Stress can be described as the way you feel under pressure. This could be pressure from your job, a relationship or any number of things. But too much stress can be harmful to your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
Our bodies can cope with small amounts of stress. But sometimes our bodies can’t cope when we feel too much pressure. Then, we show signs of stress.
Often stress comes about when you have several pressures that slowly wear down your ability to cope and deal with them effectively. It can leave you feeling mentally and physically exhausted.
Being able to cope with stress can be influenced by your personality, your relationships with others, your energy levels and your emotional maturity. Growing older often means things that would have worried you before, are no longer such an issue. And you learn from your experiences and things you have dealt with in the past.
Psychological and emotional signs of stress:
Stress may also make you feel very emotional.
Physical signs of stress:
There are also a number of things you can try to relieve the symptoms of stress:
Identify your stress triggers – what is making you stressed?
Keep a diary of what seems to trigger your stress.
Try deep breathing when you feel yourself getting stressed.
Breathe in for 3 seconds and then breathe out slowly. This will remove older oxygen from your lungs and replace it with fresh oxygen which will make you feel brighter and more alert.
Make sure you get plenty of rest and relaxation.
Every day, try to finish your daily work or chores and then completely relax.
To help you relax try visiting friends, going out for a meal or taking up a hobby or sporting activity.
Take time to relax every day by having some ‘me’ time. Try to have at least 1 hour of time alone.
Relaxation techniques can be a great way to help you de-stress.
Try shrugging your shoulders a few times to get rid of built up tension. Then shake out your arms and legs.
Or you can try visualising that you are somewhere relaxing. Like on a tropical beach away from all the stresses and strains of everyday life. Breathe slowly and deeply until your tensions slip away.
A well balanced diet can do wonders for your mental and physical wellbeing.
You should try to avoid eating high fat, sugary foods when you are stressed as these will give you an initial burst of energy and then your blood sugar levels will drop quickly leaving you feeling tired and irritable. It also makes it difficult to concentrate.
Eat meals at a regular time – try to avoid skipping meals as this can lower your blood sugar levels and leave you irritable and moody.
Avoid tea, coffee and caffeine based products, such as chocolate, cola and energy drinks – too much caffeine can leave you feeling anxious, irritable and restless.
Try to drink water, fruit juices or milk instead. This will help rehydrate and cleanse your body.
Try not to drink too much alcohol – drinking too much can make things seem worse than they are.
Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to improve your overall health and wellbeing. It can also help reduce anxiety.
If you need help with quitting you should visit your GP for advice. Or visit the NHS stop smoking website.
Getting enough rest and sleeping well is essential for wellbeing.
If you don’t sleep well it can also make you feel more anxious as you are not fully rested.
To get a good night’s sleep, try taking a relaxing warm bath (not too hot or too cold) before bed, and avoid doing anything energetic 90 minutes before you go to bed.
If you can’t sleep, don’t lay in bed for longer than 30 minutes. Get up and do something relaxing until you feel tired.
Do something you enjoy – go for a bike ride, dig the garden, take the dog for a long walk, do some cooking, watch your favourite film, or go out with friends.
Make sure you communicate with your family and friends if you need some alone or ‘me’ time. This means they know you need some time away from them and they will know to leave you alone for a while.
Have someone you can talk to – talking about your worries can help you deal with them and help sort them out.
Increasing physical activity - for example even a short 10 minute walk can help to improve how you feel – and may make you feel less tired. Exercise helps boost your serotonin levels – these are feel-good hormones
If you have not exercised in a long time, check with your doctor that you have no underlying health problems that might cause you to hurt yourself.
Try a brisk walk every day if you do not feel ready to undertake a rigorous exercise regime.
Try to get involved in activities and pastimes you previously enjoyed - even if you don’t feel like it.
There may be small tasks in the house or garden that you can do. Tackling small tasks that you may have been avoiding may help you to feel better about yourself.
Have a good work-life balance - try not to work more than 8 hours a day. And try to make sure you relax at the end of each day.
You need to relax before you can be fully effective the next day.
Listen to your body and emotions – your body will tell you what it needs.
Don’t ignore your feelings or emotions. If you need to cry, cry, if you need to shout, shout. And if your body is telling you to take a break, then listen.
Taking up a new creative project can help relieve stress.
You may want to write a novel, or take up painting or learn to dance. They can all help focus your mind on something enjoyable.
It’s ok to go slow – rushing about and having hundreds of things on the go will only increase your stress levels.
So remember to regularly take a step back and slow down.
