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This week at Talk in the Bay, we want to look at the issue of stress and how it can affect us in different ways. The word ‘stress’ and many of its variations are phrases that we all recognise and use – “I’m so stressed, you stress me out, this job is stressful, I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.” It is so much part of our vocabulary that we hardly notice we use the word at times. Indeed, physiologically, stress is a normal and natural reaction to perceived danger or challenging situations:
“Through hormonal signaling, the perception of danger sets off an automatic response system, known as the fight-or-flight response, that prepares all animals to meet a challenge or flee from it.” (Psychology Today, 2018)
It seems we all experience stress or feelings of stress at times in our lives for many different reasons. So, if it’s so ‘normal’ then why could it be a problem? If we all experience stress, then surely it’s no big deal? It’s about what it means to you as an individual. Maybe the word stress is used too lightly to describe really difficult situations that impact on us in a negative way. How can we make our lives more ‘stress free’? How do we recognise when how we feel has gone beyond what we understand as stress, and has become something more debilitating, and is having a more serious effect on our health and wellbeing?
In the last year a study of 4619 people in the UK showed that 74% felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope. So, nip it in the bud! Ask yourself, are you taking on too much right now? Try to balance the responsibilities you have for others with the responsibilities you have for yourself. Set time aside for yourself and take breaks. If you catch yourself rushing around trying to get ready for that Christmas party or running to town to buy that last minute gift, stop. Just for 5 or 10 minutes. Find the nearest cafe or sit down at home and try to clear your mind. Visit Headspace.com (https://www.headspace.com) and let it guide you through as little as 3 minutes of meditation, or begin a 30 day journey with their ‘letting go of stress’ pack.
If you find yourself falling asleep while meditating, don’t worry, that sleep is exactly what your body has asked for. Often it is hard to fall asleep or stay asleep when we are stressed. There are a lot of changes we can make to help our bodies get ready for sleep. If we have a busy schedule and need to set the alarm in the morning sleepyti.me (https://sleepyti.me/) can help us plan to set an alarm when we should fall asleep. The Mental Health Foundation highlight the four pillars of good sleep, easily remembered by the acronym HEAL:
(https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-sleep-better)
Making our lives ‘stress free’ may be an unrealistic and an unnecessary goal. Stress can be good! If it is short-lived, stress can make us perform better and alert us to danger. However prolonged stress may cause serious health problems such as heart-disease and depression. Prolonged stress may also impact negatively on our relationships both at home and at work.
If we have developed unhealthy ways of coping with ongoing stress such as becoming angry or shutting down this will impact on communication. If you think you may be struggling with prolonged stress or coping with stress in an unhealthy way, seeking professional help to heal and change is a solution. Other options are to seek assistance via your GP or The Mental Health Foundation also offers some great tips and pointers on their site.
If you feel like you have tried it all and stress is becoming unbearable our therapists at Talk In The Bay can offer professional help, find our contact details below and don’t hesitate to call if you have questions.
Call us on 0292 010 3173 or email enquiries@talkinthebay.co.uk