Take a Moment: It’s Stress Awareness Month!
Stress is something that everyone feels at times and it can be as a result of experiencing challenges in life such as financial worries, work issues or relationship problems.
A little stress can be a good thing as it may motivate us to get things done or meet a deadline. However, when stress becomes too much, it can cause problems like trouble thinking clearly, feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and even lead to physical issues like high blood pressure, fatigue, or trouble sleeping.
Therefore, how we manage stress can make a big difference to our mental wellbeing, and the first step to managing it is to know how it affects us and why.
What is Stress Awareness Month?
Stress Awareness Month – which was established by the Stress Management Society in 1992 – is observed every April to shed light on how to deal with stress and where to get help.
The theme for this year’s campaign is #leadwithlove which highlights the importance of everyone treating themselves and others with compassion and acceptance.
The Stress Management Society has created a useful tool, consisting of a series of questions, to help people assess how much stress they are currently experiencing and understand how it may impact their daily lives. Find out more here.
How can you deal with stress?
Follow tips from The Stress Management Society to help you deal with stress:
- Use a Kindness Calendar to practice kindness towards oneself
- Follow a step by step guide to creating an Appreciation Wall
- Read more about dealing with At Work Challenges
- Find out about Stress Management Society's Individual Stress Test
Get active
Being active regularly can be a way for you to the best overcome feelings of stress. From yoga and walking to swimming and martial arts, exercise can help you to burn off nervous energy and relieve stress.
Try the NHS Better Health: Home workout videos.
Adopt positive thinking
Positive thinking can help with stress relief, so take time to think about the good things in your life.
Ways that you can eliminate negative thoughts include writing down your feelings through journaling and identifying negative though patterns.
Find out more about reframing unhelpful thoughts.
Eat well
Diets that are high in fruit, vegetables and protein can help to help to keep us mentally and physically healthy. Read more about food and mental wellbeing.
Why is it important to ask for help?
Talking to someone that you trust, such as a family member, friend, colleague or by contacting a helpline, can help you when you are struggling.
If you need support with your feelings of stress you can, here are some support services that can help residents in Westminster.
- CNWL NHS Talking Therapies service is here to listen and help anyone who may be feeling anxious, worriedor depressed.
- CNWL’s Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service is based at St Charles Hospital and offers anyone aged 18 or over experiencing non-urgent mental health difficulties the chance to talk to professionals about your mental health.
- Westminster Community Mental Health Hubs are a team of specialists who support individuals aged 18 years and above with a range of mental health conditions.
The NHS has further resources on how to manage your stress, including support to help you create your own free Mind Plan to deal with stress and anxiety, improve your sleep, and feel in control. Visit this page for further information.
