GroceryAid has teamed up with its Helpline partner to understand the signs of being stressed and how learning to cope with it in a healthy way can make you, the people you care about and those around you, become more resilient.
GroceryAid offers a variety of self-help tools on the online health and wellbeing platform, from their partners RightSteps which includes bitesize content, mindfulness videos and online CBT. You may find it helpful to complete their sessions on stress at work, managing worries or preventing burnout. You can access the online health and wellbeing platform here.
For immediate, in the moment support, you can also call the free and confidential Helpline on 08088 021 122. It’s open 24/7, 365 days a year and you will be able to speak to a qualified counsellor can help.
In this article, we will explain what causes stress and provide useful tips on how to manage stress more effectively.
When too much stress and worry is placed on an individual there is no room for “let up” which can cause feelings and emotions to build until we reach a breaking point. This means normal everyday pressures build into something more and lead to us not being able to cope. This is stress, and we need to think about and identify the sources.
There are many factors that affect us –
- Physical Stress
- Environmental Stress
- Emotional Stress
- Key Life Events
- Chronic Stress
Existing mental health issues can also become a source of stress in themselves, for example, those living with an anxiety disorder and/or depression can be more prone to stress as they try to manage their day-to-day conditions.
What are the symptoms?
You might experience emotional symptoms, such as feeling angry and impatient with people close to you, feeling close to tears over trivial things, or behaving differently from usual. You may also experience physical symptoms such as sleeplessness, loss of appetite or irregular eating, panic attacks and difficulty breathing or low energy and lack of concentration.
Managing Stress
Although the feelings provoked may seem difficult to manage, there are a number of simple and effective things you can do to help yourself. These include talking to someone close or a professional, focusing on the things you can control and remembering to give yourself some time and space to step back from whatever it is that is causing you stress.
So, given that, how can we help ourselves?
The key is by taking time to examine the factors that cause us to feel “stressed” and consider that this “stress” may actually be the pressure, but this can be excessive to the point where we struggle to manage. We need to be able to look for positive ways to change the way we view what is happening to us.
Helpful coping strategies include making time for yourself for positive experiences, make sure you’re getting enough rest, talk to someone, take exercise and get some fresh air, and keep hydrated. Remember you are not alone and be kind to yourself.
If you think you could benefit from some emotional support, GroceryAid has a range of free and confidential services that could help you, including: individual counselling sessions and relationship counselling which you can learn more about here: groceryaid.org.uk/emotional-support/counselling-support/
