Millions of people across the UK are regularly affected by stress. Many find ways of coping with it but for countless others it can overwhelm and often make existing conditions worse - having a significant impact on an individual’s mental health.
Stress Awareness Day this year falls on Wednesday, November 2nd and is the annual date which highlights the ways stress can affect people and what can be done to manage it before it becomes a major problem.
At SWG we are recognising the national day and making sure all our staff do too - their stress levels, recognising them and managing them are important to us.
Taking over
For so many people stress can damage health and wellbeing. The feeling of everything closing in, to the point where it is often difficult to concentrate or even think about anything else.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, at some point during the last year 74% of the UK population felt stressed and unable to cope, which is why we take the problem so seriously at SWG.
We actively support and encourage our staff to manage their stress before it becomes a major problem. In order for us to achieve this we have six mental health first aiders and are a member of the Shropshire Mental Health Charter.
What is stress
Stress exerts mental and emotional pressure on the mind to the point where hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released into the body. It can be triggered by any worry you may have with three of the biggest offenders being:
● Work
● Relationships
● finances
There are several steps you can take to tackle the problem of stress and the NHS has highlighted:
● Be active
● Be positive
● Take control of your own situation - a good way of empowering an individual
● Inject more me time into your life - this could include factoring more social or relaxing periods into your life
● Connect with people - loneliness and self isolation are significant contributors to stress
● Avoid unhealthy habits such as alcohol, caffeine and smoking
● Work smarter, not harder
● Challenge yourself - set yourself goals which will help you build confidence
● Help others - feeling of use to people in the same situation can often be therapeutic
Recognise the problem
Stress is a horrible condition and the first thing to do is recognise the problem, adopt a positive mental attitude if you can and seek help from others if you need it.
There is truth in the saying that a problem shared is a problem halved and it can go some way to lightening the load and feeling a whole lot better.
So, at SWG we are encouraging you to take stock and take note if you need to implement any of the advice above!
