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Stress
Stress
Whatever your life circumstances we all sometimes face demanding and challenging situations and struggle to balance our time between work, social activities, and the demands of family life. You may have financial worries, work deadlines, relationship difficulties, be moving house, getting married, face redundancy or unemployment and find it difficult to cope, all these things add to your levels of stress.

Stress means different things to different people. A situation that is intolerable to one person may be stimulating to another. What you feel is determined not just by events and changes in the outside world, but how you perceive and respond to them. The important point is that you can learn to recognise your own responses to stress and, if necessary, develop skills to deal with it. In the animal world, the response to danger is to run away or to turn and fight. People respond to emotional stress as if it were a physical threat; rapid changes in the muscles and organs of the body are involved. Your muscles tense, ready for action and your heart beats faster to carry blood to where it's most needed - the muscles and the brain. You breathe faster, sweat more and your mouth becomes dry. These physical reactions are due to hormones that the body produces, including one called adrenalin.

This automatic reaction to a threatening situation is known as the 'fight or flight' reaction. It equips us to fight or escape from an enemy. You may merely be having an argument with a colleague, but your body may react as though you were gripped in a life-or-death struggle with a lion. Unfortunately, many people turn to cigarettes, alcohol or tranquillisers as a way of coping with stress. These may seem to help in the short term but, in the longer term, may further undermine your wellbeing.

Whilst a certain amount of stress and tension is a useful motivator in the short term, chronic stress can creep up almost unnoticed as we become more and more accustomed to being tired all the time, irritable and less able to cope with the everyday demands of a busy life.

Is this you?
  • persistent tiredness; exhaustion.
  • deliberate avoidance of things that need doing.
  • bodily tension, leading to headaches, migraines, upset stomach.
  • sleep problems; either can't sleep or sleeping too much.
  • loss of appetite or increased eating of 'comfort foods'.
  • too much to do; no motivation to get started.
  • mind in a whirl; can't think straight, concentrate or work effectively.
  • feeling under pressure; no time; often in a panic.
Sometimes these symptoms can indicate a medical problem, and it is worth checking this out with your GP, but if you are looking for ways to manage your stress levels it is worth considering some of the things you can do.
It is unfortunately true that when we are at our most stressed it is also difficult to imagine finding the time and energy to do something about it.
Some of the ways you can deal with stress are:
Manage your time

Although we often plan for months ahead, it's also important to plan our days. Making time for leisure, exercise and holidays is just as essential as spending time on business or home worries.
  • Everybody has a time when they feel at their best. Identify your best time (you may be a morning person or a night owl) and use it to carry out important tasks that need the most energy and concentration.
  • Make a list of things you have to do on any given day. These are your priorities; everything else can be left until later. Arrange these priorities in order of importance, and stick to that order.
  • Try to take tasks one at a time, until each is finished. If you try to do too many at once, you're more likely to end up muddled and accomplishing less.
  • Variety is a good idea. If you can, vary your tasks in a day; dull jobs with interesting tasks, tiring jobs with easier ones.
Act positively
  • Once you've finished a task, take a few moments to pause and relax. Remember to use your break wisely: do you really need that cigarette or cup of coffee? Why not eat an apple or try some deep breathing instead?
  • In the face of unrealistic demands and expectations coming from other people, be prepared to say no. Practise being straightforward and assertive in communicating with others.
  • At the end of each day, sit back and reflect on what you've done and what you've achieved, rather than spending time worrying about what still needs to be done.
  • Try to make time to switch off from your tasks at home or at work. Use your free time to relax and unwind.
  • A change of scene can help. Try to get away every so often, even if only for a couple of days.
  • Develop an absorbing hobby or interest, one that is far removed from everyday stresses and strains; you'll be glad you did.
How can I overcome the ill effects of stress?

Sleep problems

Sleep problems, such as insomnia, are a common sign of stress. It seems that about one person in five suffers from them. Worries about personal problems, family, or work may make it increasingly difficult to fall asleep, and sleep may be disturbed by vivid, bad dreams. There are several simple measures worth trying if you want to establish a better sleeping pattern.
  • Pay attention to your surroundings. If you are troubled by noise, use earplugs; if light from the street disturbs you, use thick, lined curtains or blinds.
  • It makes sense to wake up at the same time each morning and go to bed at about the same time every night. Usually, if people get up regularly at the same hour, they will tend to become sleepy by a certain hour in the evening.
  • It can be helpful to follow a night-time routine in order to wind down before bedtime. You could try going for a walk, listening to the radio or watching a relaxing TV programme, reading an undemanding magazine, taking a warm bath or having a hot drink (but avoid stimulants, such as tea and coffee, and heavy meals, late at night). Relaxation and deep breathing exercises can also help you switch off and prepare for sleep.
Many middle-aged and older people feel that they sleep less well than they would like, but people do tend to sleep less soundly as they get older. Physical discomfort or pain will certainly affect sleep, but it's worth noting that drugs prescribed for an illness may also cause insomnia.

Underlying emotional problems can make people much more vulnerable to stress. Depression may make it difficult for you to get to sleep, or you may find you wake very early feeling particularly depressed and anxious. Consider contacting your GP to discuss your sleep problem. Alternatively, if you wish to explore any underlying reasons, you could consider counselling. ^ Back to Top