Hi
We came across this forum and thought we'd post an article we have previously written in the hope that it can help those of you who are currently dealing with a difficult situation or stressed.
In a mess because of stress
Stress can really affect the way we live and often prevention is better than cure. We look at how to evaluate your stress levels and learn how best to relax.
Imagine a day in November, it is getting colder and dark before you even get home from work, you turn on the TV and are bombarded by round the clock news coverage of natural and man-made disasters. You have a million and one things you want to get done, but you feel that there is not enough time to do them. Within minutes you can feel your heart and breathing rate rising and your stress levels starting to increase. To make matters worse you didn’t sleep well because you have an important presentation to give at work first thing in the morning. At this point you start to feel anxious, your palms are sweaty and your head starts thumping. If this sounds a little like you, don’t worry – we have some tips to help you stop that stressful feeling.
When we find ourselves in a stressful environment and feel that we are unable to cope, we experience heightened levels of stress. This reaction makes our body enter the ‘fight or flight’ mode. It is at this point that we either stand our ground and fight, or turn and run away!
And then…
When the stress has passed the body will return to a state of equilibrium. However, in today’s society that does not always happen and for many people they are in a constant state of stress. This can be detrimental to our health and long-term stress exposure can lead to: mood swings, anxiety disorders, sleeplessness, a lowered immune system, skin disorders and digestion problems.
Stress Prevention…
If you recognise in yourself the early signs of stress or simply want tips on how to avoid it, aim to follow these guidelines:
Long-term the following can help…
Remember, stress can present itself in many forms and many situations, therefore it is important to identify the possible causes and evaluate what can be done to prevent anxiety attacks. You need to ask yourself - am I eating the right food? Do I set aside enough time for me? Am I in the right job? – If you struggle to answer these questions then maybe you need to re-assess your current circumstances and choose to do something about it.
Best wishes
Future Fit Training
We came across this forum and thought we'd post an article we have previously written in the hope that it can help those of you who are currently dealing with a difficult situation or stressed.
In a mess because of stress
Stress can really affect the way we live and often prevention is better than cure. We look at how to evaluate your stress levels and learn how best to relax.
Imagine a day in November, it is getting colder and dark before you even get home from work, you turn on the TV and are bombarded by round the clock news coverage of natural and man-made disasters. You have a million and one things you want to get done, but you feel that there is not enough time to do them. Within minutes you can feel your heart and breathing rate rising and your stress levels starting to increase. To make matters worse you didn’t sleep well because you have an important presentation to give at work first thing in the morning. At this point you start to feel anxious, your palms are sweaty and your head starts thumping. If this sounds a little like you, don’t worry – we have some tips to help you stop that stressful feeling.
When we find ourselves in a stressful environment and feel that we are unable to cope, we experience heightened levels of stress. This reaction makes our body enter the ‘fight or flight’ mode. It is at this point that we either stand our ground and fight, or turn and run away!
And then…
When the stress has passed the body will return to a state of equilibrium. However, in today’s society that does not always happen and for many people they are in a constant state of stress. This can be detrimental to our health and long-term stress exposure can lead to: mood swings, anxiety disorders, sleeplessness, a lowered immune system, skin disorders and digestion problems.
Stress Prevention…
If you recognise in yourself the early signs of stress or simply want tips on how to avoid it, aim to follow these guidelines:
- Before you do anything else – Stop.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and let the feeling of stress wash over you…
- Some people find the pebble technique helpful: Imagine you are a pebble sitting on a river bed, the things that are causing you feelings of stress are written on pieces of paper carried by the river and as the water of the river passes over you it carries the paper (and stress) farther away from you.
- This cuts short the fight or flight pattern and can help to distance your mind from the feelings of stress and allows you to come back to a problem when you are ready and think it through in a more relaxed state.
Long-term the following can help…
- Follow a healthy and balanced diet
- Perform at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day
- Minimise your caffeine, alcohol and cigarette consumption
- Set realistic goals at work and at home
- Find a career that you love and enjoy waking up for
- Slow down and learn to manage your time better
- Make friends and socialise
- Learn to do something that relaxes you… listen to relaxing music, take a bath or go for a walk for example.
Remember, stress can present itself in many forms and many situations, therefore it is important to identify the possible causes and evaluate what can be done to prevent anxiety attacks. You need to ask yourself - am I eating the right food? Do I set aside enough time for me? Am I in the right job? – If you struggle to answer these questions then maybe you need to re-assess your current circumstances and choose to do something about it.
Best wishes
Future Fit Training
