Very little in life is guaranteed, but it is almost certain that at some point a person will experience stress in some way. Normally, it’s caused by some form of emotional or psychological pressure. Stress can be brought on by almost any set of circumstances; whether it is work, relationships or unsurprisingly, money problems.
A small amount of stress can be a good thing as it instils a sense of urgency and keeps you aware of any potential pitfalls, but high levels of stress can have a detrimental effect on other aspects of your life. Whilst it is far easier said than done, it is important to try and manage your stress levels, otherwise you run the risk of creating more serious problems like distress and anxiety. If left unchecked it can even make underlying health issues worse, with stress being a major contributing factor to deaths from heart disease, cancer and in some extreme cases, suicide.
Furthermore, high stress cases often trigger bouts of insomnia, as the decreased cognitive functions from stress can lead to your brain being overactive, thus excess worry disrupts your sleeping pattern. In this case you need to be especially vigilant as insomnia can cause damage to your personal relationships, coupled with increased irritability and motivation making you less inclined to put yourself out for others.
What to look out for
The signs of stress can be broken down into physical, emotional and behavioural changes many of which can influence each other.
- Physical signs and symptoms include: chest pains, nausea, dizziness and headaches.
- Mental changes and common signs are: feeling overwhelmed, loneliness and isolation, moodiness, irritability, or anxiety and depression
- Sometimes the signs and symptoms can be more behavioural, which includes: withdrawing from others, erratic eating patterns, over/under sleeping, procrastination or even using alcohol or drugs to relax and switch-off.
Whilst it is natural to be stressed in some situations, it is important to find healthy ways to cope and prevent it from getting out of control. Keeping active can be helpful as it takes the focus off of the stress and encourages you to do something more productive, like going for a run or swimming. The exercise releases endorphins (the pain reliever), giving your mind a break from the negative thoughts and also counteracts the stress, which in turn could help to prevent it from deteriorating into depression.
Don’t be scared to ask for help
Reach out to friends and family who might be able to offer advice on ways of coping. Although withdrawal seems rational, the social interaction could actually help to improve your mood. Strengthen your relationships with friends so you can create a strong support network who could help in times of crisis, or who could just be that shoulder to cry on when you feel overwhelmed or agitated.
Furthermore, this can help you to combat any sense of loneliness and prevent any form of extended social withdrawal. If the issues with stress feel as though they are becoming unmanageable, it is important to seek assistance from trained medical and psychological professionals. WellBe does provide these counselling services, so why not enquire on our site if you feel that might be the right option for you.
Counsellors and therapists can help you to pinpoint exactly what the cause is and provide longer term treatment for the issue, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).This can be of some use as it allows you to examine why certain situations cause stress, and also means that you can tailor specific measures to counter these feelings. Not only does this combat stress straightaway, but also provides you with a long term resolution to your issues with stress.
And relax!
Finally, although it is far easier said than done, try to find a way of relaxing. This could be through breathing exercises or meditation; these exercises can help to relax the brain, acting as a polar opposite to the high stress levels experienced prior. This can help your brain shut down and hopefully prevent symptoms adding more strain on your wellbeing.
In essence, talking more, building up a bank of helpful coping mechanisms and finding a physical outlet are the quickest ways to combat stress before it overwhelms you. This allows the body to rest more and starts to alleviate some of the physical or mental signs from the offset.
Written by Scott Fitzpatrick
WellBe is spearheading the way to a brighter future for corporate wellness. Our innovative portal is scientifically designed and tailored to each individual employee to improve their wellbeing. We specialise in a range of services from coaching and therapists, to meditation and reading materials. Our aim is to reduce workplace stress that costs UK businesses £42 billion per year. Get in touch with us by visiting our site wellbe.global for more information.
