National Stress Awareness Day

Date published: 2 Nov 2023

The first Wednesday in November is National Stress Awareness Day, presenting an ideal opportunity to start looking after yourself and your life and break down the individual stressors in your life.

Let’s address stress.

What is Stress?

• Stress is a heightened sense or pressure.
• It can affect any person at any stage of life.
• Stress occurs due to a range of factors such as undergoing lie changings, being under pressure and facing uncertainty.
• Only the person experiencing stress can determine whether its present and how severe it feels...

How to spot the signs of stress.

Stress can manifest itself physically and emotionally. It can also affect our behaviour and thinking.

Physical symptoms include:

• Muscle aches, dizziness, chest pain, nausea and headache.

Emotional symptoms include:

• Feeling irritable, overwhelmed, angry, restless and scared.

Behavioural symptoms include:

• Avoidance, changes in eating habits and using alcohol.

Cognitive symptoms include:

• Racing thoughts, memory lapses and indecisiveness.

How to talk about Stress and Support others.

• Actively listen.
• Validate how they’re feeling by trying to understand and recognise their experience.
• Help them try to uncover and talk about their triggers.
• Ask the person what they think might reduce the pressure they are experiencing.
• If you can, offer practical help with the causes of stress.
• Support them to seek professional help.

5 Self-care strategies to help reduce stress.

1. Establish your priorities – be it in work or your daily life.
2. Complete your own stress bucket to identify your stressors and how to manage them.
3. Reach out to family and friends.
4. Spend time exercising, or out in nature.
5. Once a week, try to set time aside for a hobby you love, or try something new.

What is The stress bucket?

Healthy levels of stress can help push us, but sometimes, it makes us feel like we can’t do anything at all. This simple tool helps us to think about ways we can release stress.

Visit our Mental Health First Aider page for more information and resource links.

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