Have you ever experienced skin flare ups, shoulder tension, stomach cramps, felt irritable or had problems sleeping?  I’m sure that all of us have at some point. They may be symptoms you have on a regular or infrequent basis and are often triggered by stress, particularly at this time of global uncertainty.

There are many more that may display themselves in a physical form or through emotional behaviour.  This checklist from the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne, PHD will probably ring a lot of bells with many of you and can also help you to measure your stress level at the moment.

https://cvm.ncsu.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2015/07/StressSymptomChecklist.pdf

Today is National Stress Awareness Day.  Maybe today you could try to take some time to think about what’s causing you stress and what you can do to reduce your stress levels. This blog provides some simple tips to help you cope better with everyday stresses.

What we also need to understand is that stress isn’t always a bad thing.  This article from http://PositivePsychology.com Symptoms of Stress explains that positive stress is actually healthy for us and helps us to deal with things like job interviews, exams etc. However negative stress is not good for us and can lead us to feel inadequate and can lead to physical and mental health deterioration.

The Stress Management Society (Stress.org.uk) uses a bridge analogy to explain stress.

“When a bridge is carrying too much weight, it will eventually collapse. It is possible to see the warning signs before this happens, the bridge would bow, buckle and creak.”

Similarly with too much pressure applied to us from major life events, health concerns, relationship pressures, money issues etc.  our human bridges may break.  There may be early warning signs. Yet stress can creep up on us, resulting in an unexpected breakdown.

Click here for a quick and simple stress test to check your stress levels.

So what can we do to combat stress?  Thankfully there are a number of small, simple things we can do to bring our stress levels down. But the most important thing to do first, is to identify what triggers negative stress for you. That way we are pre-armed with tools to cope when we’re most at risk.

Inspired by https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress, here are some ideas to choose from:

• Exercise.  People who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who don’t because exercise lowers your body’s stress hormones, improves your quality of sleep and boosts your confidence. Exercising outside is especially good for you.  Cold weather workouts allow you to burn more calories, get your dose of vitamin D to help combat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), boost your immune system, elevate your mood and strengthen your heart (as the heart has to work harder to pump blood round the body in cold weather).
• Routine. Given the imminent national lock-down in England, try and stick to the routine you had before all this started.  Wake up and go to bed around the same time, eat meals, shower and don’t stay in your pyjamas all day.
• Avoid obsessing over endless Coronavirus coverage. Choose only credible sources to stay up to date for a limited amount of time each day.
• Listen to self-help audio guides.  The NHS website has a number of short ones to help with stress, anxiety, depression etc: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-wellbeing-audio-guides
• Consider supplements.  Several supplements promote stress and anxiety reduction such as lemon balm (a member of the mint family that has been studied for its anti-anxiety effects) and green tea (contains antioxidants which provide health benefits. It may lower stress and anxiety by increasing serotonin levels).
• Light a candle. Using essential oils or burning a scented candle may help reduce your feelings of stress and anxiety.  Some scents are especially calming, such as lavender, rose, neroli and sandalwood.
• Reduce your caffeine intake. It’s a stimulant and can increase anxiety in high doses.
• Write it down. Maybe turn it on its head and concentrate on the positives. What are you grateful for? Change “I am stuck inside” to “I can finally focus on my home and myself”
• Spend time with friends and family if you can (even virtually). Being part of a network gives you a sense of belonging and self-worth, which can help you through tough times.
• Laugh: Prevents anxiety, and relieves your stress response, relaxes your muscles and improves your mood and boosts your immune system.
• Learn to Say No. Take control over the parts of your life that you can change and are causing you stress.
• Avoid Procrastination. Get in the habit of making a to-do list organised by priority. Give yourself realistic deadlines and work your way down the list.
• Take a yoga class. While yoga styles differ, most share a common goal – to join your body and mind. You can even find free yoga online and there is something for all levels, including seated yoga.
• Practice mindfulness to boost self-esteem and lessen symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• Listen to soothing music. Slow-paced instrumental music can induce the relaxation response by helping lower blood pressure and heart rate as well as stress hormones. Nature sounds can also be very calming.
• Deep breathing. This helps slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel more peaceful.
• Spend time with your pet.  Having a pet may help reduce stress and improve your mood. Interacting with pets may help release Oxytocin, a brain chemical that promotes a positive mood.
• Don’t be a slave to technology. Keep your mobile phone out of the bedroom, revert to a traditional alarm clock. The blue light created by electronic devices does not help us sleep.  Turn off all notifications day and night, so that you aren’t constantly interrupted by pinging.  A very simple way of concentrating better and feeling more relaxed and in control.

Remember whatever the problems you are facing, there is always someone there to help.

Within the Trust alone, you can speak to your line manager, one of our HR Business Partners, one of our Mental Health First Aiders, a local Pastoral Care member or Naomi Stone, Colleague Engagement Manager.

Colleagues can also access our Employee Assistance Programme, which is a free 24-hour confidential service run by Canada Life. Contact details for their phone line and login details for their website can be found on Our Trust Hub.

This site and Our Trust Hub have a number of further links to organisations and resources to help.