Stress Awareness Month
Since 1992, the month of April is Stress Awareness Month. The main purpose of Stress Awareness Month is to raise awareness of stress; what causes stress and how we reduce and treat it.
Stress Awareness Month also aims to:
- Promote open discussions about stress to help remove the stigma of mental health issues.
- Provide information on what triggers stress.
- Share information on the signs and symptoms of stress.
- How we can avoid those triggers by using stress management techniques.
- Offer assistance to both organisations and individuals in successfully managing stress.
Each year Stress Awareness Month has a different theme. The theme this year is #LeadWithLove.
The aim of #LeadWithLove is to encourage us to treat and accept others as we would want to be treated and accepted ourselves; with kindness, positivity and understanding.
Stress – what is it?
When our body is feeling under pressure or vulnerable, it becomes stressed. Our body then releases adrenaline, a hormone, to help us get through the stressful situation.
However, when we are too stressed, this can affect all aspects of our lives and, even more so, when we feel we are losing control. Then stress can make us feel less confident and more apprehensive. When suffering from stress for a long period of time or severely, this can lead to issues with mental and physical health culminating in ‘burnout’.
Stress – how do I know I am stressed?
When suffering with stress you may feel:
- Angry
- Worried
- Scared
- Grouchy
- Upset
- Overwhelmed
- Sick
- Dizzy
You may suffer from:
- headaches
- rashes or hives
- stomach aches
- high blood pressure
- chest pains
If you suffer from high blood pressure or chest pains, please go and see your GP.
How do I manage stress?
Here are some of the techniques which may help you manage your stress levels:
- Try and think of positive things in your life and write them down.
- Talk to someone – ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’.
- Exercise – it has been proved that exercise relieves symptoms of stress.
- If you are feeling overwhelmed with the amount of ‘stuff’ you need to get done, write a list or a plan. This can alleviate the effects of stress.
We here at Caremark Cheltenham and Gloucester appreciate how stress can take over your life. We are here to help our customers with their feelings of unwellness, loneliness and helplessness, especially if losing some of their independence. Also, we are here to help the families and friends of our customers who contact us when their loved ones need our assistance. Both these situations can be very stressful.
If this article resonates with you and you have an older family member or friend who you feel is suffering with stress, please do get in touch here.