At such a difficult time in our lives, where nothing is certain and the message to live ‘normal’ is mixed, it’s very hard to keep our stress levels low and wellbeing intact.
The thing I’d like to point out before we carry on is everything in this blog is normal. I don’t want you reading this questioning if you’re the only one. Cause I can assure you, you’re not alone.
We all had bad days in life. And the feeling of stress is a part of that. One of the best things you can do for your health and wellbeing is to manage that stress, even when you can’t control the source of it.
Not all stress is bad, some stress can be good. It can challenge us to keep alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger. But too much stress can make us sick.
This Wellspace blog is going to go through the effects of stress and give you some tips to controlling wellbeing when things get too much.
What Is Stress?
According to Mental Health, stress is referred to as ‘the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure.’
Stress is our bodies response to pressure, whether than be internal or external. These feelings often occur when you’re experiencing something new or something that left a bad feeling the last time you encountered a situation.
We all deal with stress differently. Our ability to cope can depend on our genetics, early life events, personality and social and economic circumstances.
How Does Stress Affect Wellbeing?
If you’re constantly under stress, your wellbeing is hugely affected. You can have physical symptoms, such as headaches, an upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pain, and problems with sex and sleep.
Stress can also lead to mental health problems such as depression, panic attacks, or other forms of anxiety and worry.
The Importance Of Managing Stress
Managing stress levels is crucial to controlling wellbeing. If you don’t, and you live with high levels of stress, you’re putting your overall wellbeing at risk.
Stress creates emotional and physical havoc on your body. It narrows your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life. The thing I want you to take away is, you have more control than you think.
Stress Management.
Stress management allows you to break the cycle or rot you find yourself in and get a hold of the stress. This allows you to be in control of your physical and emotional responses. The goal is to be able to manage work and life.
But stress management is not one-size-fits-all. That’s why it’s important to experiment and find out what works best for you. The following stress management tips can help you do that.
4 Tips To Manage Stress
Identify The Stressors In Your Life
Stress management starts by identifying the things that make you stressed. It’s not as easy as you initially think. While it’s easy to mention your job or specific people, what is hard is identifying your own thoughts. The internal causes.
We would recommend starting a stress journal to jot down the stressors and ways in which you dealt with them to see if that’s the best way of managing it. Keeping a daily log will allow you to not only track your emotions, but you’ll be able to notice patterns and themes.
Deep Breathing
Stopping and taking a few deep breaths can take the pressure off you right away and start the process of controlling your wellbeing. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel once you get good at it. Just follow these 5 steps:
- Sit in a comfortable position with your hands in your lap and your feet on the floor. Or you can lie down
- Close your eyes. Completely focus on your breath
- Imagine yourself in a relaxing place
- Slowly take deep breaths in and out
- Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time
If you have an Apple watch (Potentially any smartwatch) they have a function that allows you to focus on your breathing so this could be a starting point.
Exercise & Socialise
Exercise is one of the best ways to relax your body and mind. It is scientifically proven to release natural feel-good endorphins in your body. You have to do it often for it to pay off, but when you get started, you’ll want the feeling over and over again!
Socialising is all part of exercising. Try going for a walk with friends, maybe partnering up with someone when going to the gym or alternatively getting into a team sport.
Speak Up
If you’re suffering, speak up. A problem shared is a problem halved. Go to someone you feel comfortable speaking to, if you can’t think of anyone in your circle, don’t hesitate to speak to a doctor or therapist.
Talking to yourself can also be beneficial to controlling wellbeing – just make sure it’s positive and not negative.
Get In Touch
Why not contact us today to see how you can control your wellbeing with our workplace app. Or email info@yourwellspace.com. We will be happy to help you!
Alternatively, for tips, advice or other employee-related information, visit our news page.
