The causes of stress and how to deal with it

The causes of stress and how to deal with it

Stress is your body’s reaction to pressure from a certain situation or event. It can be a physical, mental, or emotional reaction.

We all deal with stress at some point in our lives. Maybe it’s your job, a family illness, or money troubles. These are all common triggers.

Not all stress is bad, however. It can make you more aware of things around you and keep you more focused. In some cases, stress can give you a boost and help you get more done.

Different types of stress

Good stress is known as “Acute” stress, which is when you’re stressed for a short period of time. Think about the gut feeling you get when you have to do something nerve wracking, such as speaking in front of hundreds of people. This type of stress is part of the body’s natural response, sending a signal to your brain to release the hormone cortisol, which can be a helpful coping mechanism in some situations.

Bad stress is known as “Chronic” stress, which essentially means long term stress. Long term stress can have damaging effects on your mental and physical wellbeing, and present issues such as headaches, poor sleep, high blood pressure, anxiety and even chronic diseases.

How to tackle your stress

Whatever type of stress you do experience, it can be managed, and there are several ways in which you can tackle it::

• Identify what it is that causes you stress and avoid it as much as you can
• Plan and prioritise – don’t take on too much at once, take breaks and don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t complete a task
• Speak to loved ones about your stress. Often, once we’ve got something off our chest we feel much better
• Try to avoid overindulging in drinking alcohol and smoking, or other unhealthy coping mechanisms such as comfort eating
• Be as strict as you can when it comes to work life balance. Keep parameters for when you work and when you relax
• Regular exercise – whether it’s a full-on gym workout, going for a walk, or doing a sport
• Meditation, mindfulness, and breathing exercises can be really beneficial

Check out our past blog which talks more in depth on top tips for reducing stress at work.

We all go through different forms of stress and at times it can feel as if nothing is going right. This month is Stress Awareness Month and we want to be able to share experiences across the community to help others manage their stress in a healthy way.

To find out how you can get involved, get in touch by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Stress Awareness Month”.