Stress Awareness Month

“Stress isn’t avoidable,

but it is manageable.”

Stress is a normal part of life because stress gives the alarm signal for our body to prepare ourselves to face a threat or to flee to safety.

 There are different stresses:

☐ Stress of routine.

☐ Stress brought by sudden negative change.

☐ Stress by trauma.

What are the effects if you are stressed?

Stress has negative effects; it will usually manifest itself one way or another. It may be emotional, physical or behavioural, or a combination of all three.

 ☐ Cognitive (e.g., memory problems, inability to concentrate, brain fog, self-doubt).

☐ Emotional (e.g., depression, moodiness, anxiety, frustration).

☐ Physical (e.g., Chest pain, aches, skin problems, indigestion, high blood pressure).

☐ Behavioural (e.g., sleeping problems, addiction, isolation, demotivation).

How to cope with your stress?

In order to relieve ourselves from the bad effect that occurs as a result of stress, you may take notes in doing the following:

 ☐ Acknowledge what is the source of stress.

☐ Seek help or speak with a friend or loved one if needed.

☐ Practice a breathing exercise.

☐ Remove yourself from the stressful situation.

☐ Set a solution strategy.

☐ Engage in self-care tasks such as food choices, taking care of your body e.g., going to a spa.

☐ Consider doing some exercise like going for a walk or starting some martial art.

☐ Consider learning about meditation, yoga or tai chi.

 A key action in order to minimize risk is to identify stress-related problems as early as possible, so that action can be taken before serious stress-related illness occurs.

 If you feel overwhelmed, you may consider talking or consult with a health professional in your area.

 For any further information, you can contact us: admin@alfordjeremy.com