I recently came back off holiday, and I was shocked at how long it took me to relax and settle into 'holiday-mode' which really made me aware of how much stress and pressure I was under before my holiday. In hindsight, this should have been no surprise, however when you are in the middle of it all, it hard to see the wood for the trees.
Many of us aren't always aware of the pressure we are under, so in this article I thought I would outline the signs of stress and some practical ways to help yourself if you are.
What is stress?
In the most basic of terms, stress is the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. Stress can be a good things - it can motivate us to take action and in our caveman days save our lives. However just like poorly managed debt, stress can get out of control; constant or chronic stress is damaging to both our physical and mental health.
Signs of Stress:
Feel overwhelmed
Racing thoughts/ trouble concentrating
Being irritable
Constant feeling of worry, anxiety or fear
Lack of self-confidence
trouble sleeping/ feel tired all the time
avoiding things or people which are causing you problems/ conflict
changes in appetite - eating more or less than normal
over reliance on coping methods - such as drinking more, smoking more or working out more to try and relieve stress
you are repeatedly ill - suppresses immunity and leads to illness.
Practical Tips to Help with Stress
The first step of reducing stress is to recognise the signs of stress.
Take a few moments to focus on your breath, breathe in through the nose and out through the nose and mouth. Try and count your breaths in and out. Alternatively trace the outline of your hand and as you go up a finger, breathe in, as you go down a finger, breathe out.
Brain Dump - if you are feeling overwhelmed, get a big blank piece of paper and get everything out of your head onto paper. If you have things you need to do, get 5 more pieces of paper and label them A-E. The things which you must do right now, right on the A page. Then use subsequent sheets (B-E) to categorise tasks by priority. Try to put things on the D page which you can delegate and things on E which you can eliminate!
Talk to people - both personally and professionally. I am a true believer of a problem shared is a problem halved. Speak to your GP about your stress. They may suggest Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or other talking therapies if needed.
Get moving - exercise does not decrease stress hormones, but it does decrease the number of stress receptors in the hippocampus. Exercise releases endorphins which are feel good hormones as well as providing an escape or place to decompress.
The Final 'T'
Stress is a part of life, the key is to manage it. Sounds simple, but it's not always that easy. I would start by setting yourself the task to start recognising and being aware of the signs of stress. From there you can take action using the tips above.
A word of caution, over reliance on any coping strategy is unwise; don't put all your eggs in one basket! For example, if exercise is your main coping strategy for stress, this can be a problem because imagine if you were injured or exhausted, exercise may add to the stress.
If you need help right now, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org (24 hour response time). For online resources, head over to Stress.org.

Don't worry...I eventually relaxed with the help of Dave the Unicorn! 🦄
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