STRESS
Why am I stressed? How do I deal with this?
We all know what it's like to feel stressed, but it's not easy to pin down exactly what stress means. When we say things like "this is stressful" or "I'm stressed", we might be talking about:
Situations or events that put pressure on us – for example, times where we have lots to do and think about, or don't have much control over what happens.
Our reaction to being placed under pressure – the feelings we get when we have demands placed on us that we find difficult to cope with.
A N G E R
There's no medical definition of stress, and health care professionals often disagree over whether stress is the cause of problems or the result of them. This can make it difficult for you to work out what causes your feelings of stress, or how to deal with them. But whatever your personal definition of stress is, it's likely that you can learn to manage your stress better by:
Managing external pressures, so stressful situations don't seem to happen to you quite so often
Developing your emotional resilience, so you're better at coping with tough situations when they do happen and don't feel quite so stressed
Being under pressure is a normal part of life. It can be a useful drive that helps you take action, feel more energised and get results. But if you often become overwhelmed by stress, these feelings could start to be a problem for you.
Stress is not a psychiatric diagnosis.
It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.
- Lou Holtz
Never stress over what you can't control.
- Unknown
You might find that your first clues about being stressed are physical signs, like tiredness, headaches or an upset stomach.
This could be because when we feel stressed emotionally, our bodies release hormones called cortisol and adrenaline. This is the body’s automatic way of preparing to respond to a threat (sometimes called the 'fight or flight' response). If you’re often stressed then you’re probably producing high levels of these hormones, which can make you feel physically unwell and could affect your health in the longer term.
We hope this helped x