April is Stress Awareness Month and the theme this year is little by little, a little becomes a lot. This is the idea that small consistent actions each day contribute to your overall wellbeing as a cumulative effect.
Stress in our everyday
What stresses us?
Honestly It can be anything, we all have different triggers, it may be a deadline, reading the news, or your daily commute. You will be individually triggered by some stressors, and great at dealing with other stressors. So, while it’s normal to be stressed by everyday things – consider being aware of what stresses you, making a note of it, and being extra kind to yourself in those situations. For me, I feel stressed when I’m rushed, so I try to leave myself time between tasks, so I don’t have to feel as rushed. Of course, sometimes in life I have to rush, and that’s when understanding ‘completing a stress cycle’ is important.
What happens when we’re stressed?
It’s important to understand that stress is a normal part of our everyday lives. Cortisol (the stress hormone) helps your body to wake up, it helps you to run for the bus, and it increases your body’s metabolism of glucose and helps maintain your blood pressure. However, it is important to maintain a safe level of cortisol in your body, too much stress creates an unhealthy level of cortisol in your body, which over time can lead to burn out, and other health problems.
Stress can affect our emotions by making us more Irritable, angry, impatient, overwhelmed, anxious or nervous. It can make you feel like your thoughts are racing and you can’t switch off, as well as feeling unable to enjoy yourself or feeling depressed.
It’s normal to feel these things every now and then, but if these signs of stress become a ‘normal’ everyday way of being for you, you may want to consider reaching out for help.
Completing the stress cycle
This was a game changer for me! It’s not about eliminating stress, or the things that cause you stress, it can be about completing the natural cycle of stress in your body. It’s about focusing on our physical selves and understanding our own needs better. Have you ever been so wound up about something, but once you vent to your loved one for 10 minutes, you both end up laughing about it and it all feels much lighter? That’s completing the stress cycle with connection and laughter.
6 Ways to complete a stress cycle:
- Physical activity (walking, dancing, weight lifting)
- Creativity (doodle, journal, cooking)
- Laughing (laughing with someone else is even better)
- Crying (crying is a healthy way for our body to release cortisol, let yourself cry for as long as you need and don’t try to stop yourself)
- Connection (speaking/hugging/affection with a loved one)
- Deep breathing techniques (box breathing, or belly breathing are both simple techniques to try)
Daily habits
What do you already do that works for you? It might not be anything we’ve already talked about, such as a daily call with your mum, or time alone watching your favourite TV show. We can’t be perfectionist about this, and each of us will have different and unique lives, so our coping strategies need to reflect this.
Unfortunately, a daily glass of alcohol or smoking cigarettes may feel helpful, but it’s increasing our stress levels over time. As someone who used to smoke and drink often, you may know this already but not know where to start! If tackling these things feels too big right now, don’t worry! Try something smaller like a daily walk, drinking more water, or journalling – and you may find that once you have better coping strategies, tackling these issues seems much more possible in a few months’ time! You can also find further support for stopping drinking, smoking, and drug misuse here:
Your Health Torbay – 01803 422422 – yourhealthtorbay.co.uk/stop-smoking
Torbay Drug & Alcohol Service – Search Torbay Recovery Initiatives
Devon – One Small Step – onesmallstep.org.uk
Written by Olivia Rocking, staff health and wellbeing administrator
Find wellbeing support via wellbeing @ work on ICON here
Sources of information:
The role of cortisol in the body | healthdirect
Completing Our Body’s Stress Response Cycle | UK Human Resources (uky.edu)
Stress Awareness Month 2024 – The Stress Management Society
Find free resources for Stress Awareness Month here: The Stress Management Society – Free Resources 2024
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