Stress Awareness Month
April marks ‘Stress Awareness’ Month’, an opportunity to discuss the causes and effects, and limit its impacts on our daily lives.
The majority of us will have experienced stress at some point. It is a natural reaction to stressful situations, such as work, relationships, or handling finances. A little bit of stress is normal, and helps us to focus on the problems at hand, but when it becomes a daily occurrence, then stress becomes a problem in and of itself.
The physical impacts of stress affect people differently, but there are some common symptoms which many will feel. This includes: headaches, insomnia, a lack of energy, chest pain or a racing heart, and a change in bowel habits such as diarrhoea, constipation, or nausea.
In long-term cases of stress, it can also cause: menstrual problems, skin and hair problems such as acne or permanent hair loss, and even cardiovascular or gastrointestinal problems such as heart disease or ulcerative colitis.
Managing stress is easier said than done, but there are things you can do to limit your stress and make future occurrences feel less overwhelming. Different things will work for different people, so check out the links below on top tips to manage stress:
- NHS; Tips to Reduce Stress
- Mental Health.org; How to Manage and Reduce Stress
- Help Guide; Stress Management
- Mind; How to Manage Stress