Stress Awareness Month

Did you know that April is Stress Awareness month? I think it’s rather sad that we need to designate a month to raise awareness of stress and it’s dangers but apparently we do.

Unfortunately, stress is one of the biggest challenges facing us today. A little stress is good for us, it helps us to find the motivation we need to reach goals in both our personal and professional lives. However, too much stress has a very negative impact on both physical and mental health.

Leading busy stressful lives, rushing to get everything done at work and at home, being bombarded by news of terrible events in the world, it’s no wonder we end up anxious and short-tempered!

Do you suffer from stress? Have you ever stopped to think about it even? There are many signs but they tend to creep up on us and become ‘normal’. It can be worth just running a bit of a check on ourselves sometimes: are you finding it hard to concentrate or to make decisions? Do you have problems sleeping or suffer from indigestion? Do you get angry easily or worry about things that don’t really matter? All these and more can be signs of chronic stress.

When was the last time you took a bit of ‘me time’? Most of us are much kinder to other people than we are to ourselves. We just keep going, getting the job done, looking after the kids, looking after Mum and Dad, looking after the dog…..……..what about you?? Self-care is so important, but we often think it’s selfish to put ourselves first, even once in a while. It really isn’t! We have so much more to give others when we are in a good place ourselves!

Stress also makes us much more vulnerable to physical ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, weight gain and sleep disorders.

So, what can we do about it?

1. How we feel depends on how we perceive things: are you a glass half full or a glass half empty sort of person? Looking on the bright side and focusing on the    positives in life sounds simple but it is also a very effective way to reduce stress.

2. Physical activity makes us feel good. Find something you like to do and get those endorphins flowing.

3. Take a bit of time for yourself, do something you enjoy. Even 10 minutes can make a difference.

4. Try mindfulness, take a couple of minutes and focus on one of your senses: hearing works for me, you’ll be amazed at how much we usually miss!

5. Meditation, guided or otherwise, can help you to relax and to sleep.

6. Ask for help if you need it, we all do sometimes.

7. Spend time with people you like and love, socialising is a very human need.

8. Congratulate yourself on all the things you have already achieved.

9. Eat and drink healthily.

10. Laugh! Laughter really is the best medicine: it can reduce cortisol levels, reduce pain, relax you and it’s good for the heart!

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a positive and supportive approach to therapy. We use a variety of techniques to help you to move forward and become the person you want to be. You finish with many strategies and techniques that you can use to keep you that way for good. Let’s get to the end of Stress Awareness month in a better frame of mind than we were in at the beginning!