Stress
Stress is a normal natural response to a pressurised situation.
A small amount of stress can be motivating but a prolonged amount can be damaging to both physical, psychological and emotional health.
Different people react differently to stress. There are some who can deal with large amounts and some who find it hard to cope with very small amounts of stress; some may feel motivated while others feel overwhelmed. Some might consider it healthy and a useful driver to fix and sort out certain situations in their life, while others might find it brings their lives to a standstill.
Some stressful situations arise when we feel we have a lack of control in our lives or experience a major life change. Sometimes stress can be the result of the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. Whatever the cause of the stress the long-term effects can be detrimental to your health, your emotions and your overall wellbeing.
Whatever the cause of the stress, when it begins to affect your life in a detrimental way it is time to seek help as prolonged exposure to stress can lead to other mental health issues.
Causes can include:
- Marriage
- Baby
- New job
- Divorce
- Bereavement
- Moving house
- Problems at work
- Problems within a relationship
- Finances
Symptoms can include:
- Anger
- Agitation
- Crying
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Low self esteem
- Avoiding friends/social situations
- Difficulty sleeping
- Excessive alcohol or drug use
- Chest pains/palpitations
- Dizziness
If your stress is becoming overwhelming or affecting your life in a detrimental way you may find it helpful to meet with your GP or a trained counsellor or therapist.
Useful Articles
Here is a list of articles on stress you might find helpful.
TED Talk: Kelly McGonigal: How to make Stress your friend
Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.
His Stress is not Her Stress
Scientists have long known that women are more likely than men to suffer depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, all of which have been linked to chronic stress, says Temple University psychologist Debra Bangasser. But until recently, studies of people’s responses to such stress have focused primarily on men.
Is there too much stress on stress?
About 10 million working days a year are lost to stress. In our age of austerity, zero-hours working and weakened unions, has stress – a term only invented in the 1950s – become a shorthand for more complex problems?
Stress: its surprising health implications
Whether it is down to work pressure, money worries or relationship troubles, most of us experience stress at some point in our lives. In fact, around 75% of us report experiencing moderate to high levels of stress over the past month. It is well known that stress can cause sleep problems, headache and raise the risk of depression. But in this Spotlight, we look at some of the more surprising ways in which stress may harm our health.
Recommended Reading
When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection
The bestselling exploration of the effects of the mind–body connection on stress and disease.
The Life Changing Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Sarah Knight
This irreverent and practical book explains how to rid yourself of unwanted obligations, shame, and guilt - and give your f**ks instead to people and things that make you happy.
Poems and Quotes to Inspire You
Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must, because to do otherwise is to waste the most precious of gifts given so freely by God to all of us. So when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be easy and our hearts will not be broken.
Andy Ripley – England and Lions rugby legend, often described as one of the most colourful personalities in the history of English rugby
Helpful articles often written by our fabulous practitioners.