Stress

Understanding Stress

We all experience stress in our lives. We all know what it feels like. It happens when the demands of life feel particularly challenging or overwhelming.  It can a shortlived reaction to a particular pressure, event or situation or it can be prolonged, building up and continuing over time. 

We all cope differently with stress and what is stressful for one person is not for another. But how we react to stress and manage it in our lives is key to our mental health.  And while stress is a part of everyday life, prolonged stress is bad for our health, both physically and mentally.  So, it's a good idea to learn more about it and how to manage stress in our lives.

Good Stress or Bad Stress?

Some stress can be good. It can be a good motivator for getting things done. But how quickly we recover from it is what's important to our health and wellbeing.  Learning to manage it and building resilience against stress and anxiety is key to our mental health.

Know the Signs

If you are concerned about stress, are any of these SIGNS familiar?

Physical Signs

• Tension.
• Headaches.
• Stomach upset, nausea or vomiting.
• Sleeplessness or drowsiness.

Emotional Signs

• Worry 
• Lack of patience, 
• Nervousness 
• Loss of concentration 
• Feeling of isolation 
• Procrastination 
• Frustration  

Behavioural Signs

• Mood swings 
• Loss of appetite or over-eating 
• Suicidal thoughts 
• Self-harm or thoughts of self-harm. 

If you recognise these signs in yourself or in another person, following our links below to find out how to manage stress in your life.