Simply put, stress occurs when a person is not able to cope with the demands placed upon them.  It’s an instinctive reaction to ‘fight or flight’.  These days we’re no longer fleeing from sabre-toothed tigers or hunting woolly mammoths but the physical response is the same when we’re put in a stressful situation.  The hormones released and physical changes prepare our bodies to deal with the situation but those now tend to be traffic jams, deadlines, confrontation, relationships and life changes.

Stress can be both positive and negative.  A certain level of stress is good – it stirs us into action and gives us a push to meet deadlines, deal with confrontations and adds spice to life.  However, too much stress affects the body both physically, mentally and emotionally and causes a loss of performance and ultimately a breakdown of the body resulting in illness.

Undue stress varies greatly from one person to another.  What is stressful for one person is enjoyable for someone else.  People can handle different and varying levels of stress so there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach when dealing with stress.

Stress can result in digestive, back and skin problems, insomnia, high-blood pressure, weight problems, heart disease, headaches, depression … the list goes on.  It’s one of the main reasons people are off sick from work.  Even less serious symptoms like lack of concentration, low energy levels, forgetfulness, being late and frequent colds can all be signs of stress.

One in five people are stressed at work.

Almost 30 days are lost per stress related incident and over 12.8 million days are lost per year!

Stress costs UK businesses £3.7 billion a year

The old saying of ‘pull yourself together’ or ‘just get on with it’ is not helpful any more.  Know what causes you stress and then you can either reduce it or learn how to deal with it better.

Look after yourself:

• eat a healthy, balanced diet
• avoid excessive stimulants – coffee, tea, cigarettes and alcohol
• take regular exercise – include gentle exercise like Yoga or Tai Chi
• allow time for yourself, your family and friends
• take up meditation

Adjust your workload:

• work less hours
• learn to say no
• take responsibility
• start being pro-active instead of reactive
• “don’t sweat the small stuff”
• improve your skills
• work within your own ability

Take some time this month to think about your own stress levels and what you could do to improve and reduce your stress.  Get in touch if you’d like some additional ideas or need some support in reducing your stress.