April is ‘Stress Awareness Month’. Whether it’s work or juggling the balance of relationships and childcare, there are many lifestyle factors that contribute to stress that eventually lead to further mental health problems. There are lots of tips and ideas for covering the key areas of health and wellbeing to help you manage your mental health and feel your best self.
Stress is a heightened sense of pressure which can affect anyone at any stage of life. It occurs due to a range of factors such as undergoing life changes, being under pressure and facing uncertainty.
Symptoms can include: muscle aches; dizziness; chest pain; nausea; headaches; feeling irritable and angry; changes in eating habits; racing thoughts; memory lapses and indecisiveness.
Stress tips:
- Breathe – Breathing exercises are a useful technique to help you relax. The 4-5-8 method is very simple: Start by sitting up straight in a comfortable position or lying down. Slowly breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds. If you can’t breathe in through your nose, use your mouth. Hold your breath for 5 seconds. Breathe out slowly for 8 seconds. Repeat this cycle 10 times, or as many times as you want. While you do it try to concentrate on your breathing. You can alter the seconds to suit you.
- Be Mindful – Mindfulness is about being in touch with the world around you and noticing what’s happening in the present. Next time you feel stressed try this exercise: Choose an everyday task that helps you engage your senses like brushing your teeth. Concentrate on how the brush feels in your hand, the sensation of it brushing your teeth, the feeling of your feet against your bathroom floor, the smell and taste of the toothpaste. Notice how much you experienced in just 2 minutes. Being mindful can benefit day-to-day wellbeing but it doesn’t always work for everyone. Explore other relaxation techniques to see what’s right for you.
- Sleep Well – Sleep can affect how you feel physically and mentally. There are some easy steps you can take to improve your sleep: To start with, create a regular sleeping pattern and a restful environment for consistency and calm. Watch what you’re eating and drinking. Keep a sleep diary to track your sleep patterns. Write down your thoughts. Try allocating specific worry time’ or planning time’ early in the day. If you can’t sleep, get up and do something else to help you feel sleepy.
- Stress Bucket – The stress bucket is a simple tool to help us think about the ways we can release stress: Start by imagining there’s a bucket you carry with you which slowly fills up when you’re stressed. Sometimes you may feel strong enough to carry a lot of stress, but sometimes we need to find techniques to help lighten the load. Identify the activities that help you reduce stress. This could be anything from good time management to talking to someone you trust. Make an action plan for how to keep those activities going when other pressures build up.
Here are a few resources to look at:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/stress/
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/useful-contacts/