Stress is something that connects us all and is a response to the demands of life. We all experience it – both positive stress that motivates us and negative stress that causes us distress. April is stress awareness month and the theme this year is regaining connectivity, certainty and control. What does that mean for you? Maybe you are feeling positive about socialising with friends and family more, desperate to get back to work and see colleagues. Others may be feeling anxious about re-engaging in the outside world. Perhaps you are wondering is it ‘safe’ to go back out into your community due to health anxiety, social worries caused by reduced self-confidence or having enjoyed a break from the normal routine of how your over hectic life was pre-Covid-19?
Research conducted by The Stress Management Society revealed that in 2020 that more than 65% of people in the UK have felt more stressed since Covid-19 restrictions began last March. The main causes identified are feelings of disconnection, uncertainty and a worrying loss of control.
You may want to take this opportunity to re-evaluate what you want to reconnect with and how. This period has offered a space for many of us to reflect on our lives and what we truly value. Perhaps we have been forced to make life changes and not felt in control during the last 12 months. How we recreate our lives to reduce the impact of negative stressors is an important consideration to stop us reverting to old, unhealthy patterns of behaviour that no longer meet our needs.
It’s worth remembering that not everything is changing so also acknowledge what is staying the same. This can help us balance up worries and take time to consider some positives about getting back to things you have missed. Give yourself time to transition back into your ‘new’ external life. Try your best to support and ease yourself into routines such as using public transport, returning to a work life in the office, having a social diary again.
You may have started new hobbies, taken a walk every day, sat on your balcony or in your garden more, spent more time with your pet. All those activities that have kept you balanced during lockdown have great value and need to be prioritised.
Why don’t you join the 30 day challenge?
Team up with a family member, friend or work colleague to encourage each other to focus on one healthy habit. It takes about 30 days to turn a new behaviour into a habit so choose what you’d like to focus on – perhaps take a digital detox, make a plan to meet up with a friend every week that you’ve been unable to see, keep going with your daily walk.
30-Day-Challenge-Hints-Links-and-Tips-Physical-Mental-Emotional-1.pdf (stress.org.uk)
Discuss coping strategies i.e. practising deep breathing, relaxation or grounding techniques, where you can use all of your senses paying attention to what you can see, touch, hear, smell and taste. Feeling in control of your body, increases your sense of psychological control. We often struggle to have rational thoughts, focus and remember basic things when struggling with negative stress. Any activities where we can be help ourselves focus on one thing at once like mindfulness can really help an over-busy brain. There are many helpful websites and podcasts on mindfulness to try so you can find what works for you.
Would you like to unlock your happy?
We all need to help our bodies release our happy hormones. We all know that being outside is a great way of doing this for our body’s vitamin D levels. Serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin are our body’s happy cocktail so how do we help release these more?
Serotonin helps stabilise our mood and is increased by being outside in nature, having a massage, breathing exercises.
Dopamine our reward chemical is released by celebrating success, mindfulness and meditation, sunlight, listening to music.
Endorphins are released by laughing, eating cacao rich foods, creative activities and having sex. Finally, oxytocin is released by petting your dog or cat, spending time with friends, yoga and hugs.
Sadly stress doesn’t just impact our mental health and create the risk of anxiety and depression, it is also strongly linked to problems with our immune system, heart disease, sleep and appetite difficulties, stomach and back problems.
Speak up at work for mental health
Whatever type of work you are in there is a forum for you. ‘Mates in Mind’ is a group focused on industry, construction, transport and logistics sectors and has some great hints and tips for getting stress on your organisation’s health and safety agenda.
Mates in Mind – Improving your workplace mental health
Your organisation may consider reviewing it’s mental health strategy, increasing awareness training and even appointing mental health first aiders. If you have responsibility for health and safety, please contact us to discuss how we can help put mental health on the map in your business.
However you feel in the coming weeks, reach out and speak to others as you are not alone in this.
Take a look on our website for helpful guidance or contact us for support and advice – email: wellness-consultancy@outlook.com; Website: The Wellness Consultancy
Rachel Wesley
Contact Tel: 07759 516241
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