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With everybody’s lives getting busier and more hectic, it’s now more important than ever before to consider your own mental well being as well as your friends and families’.
A recent survey by The Mental Health foundation found that 74% of people have felt so stressed that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.
There are many categories of mental health, each caused or triggered by a number of things, usually specific to the individual suffering. Good mental health is equally as important as being physically well, although it is often left ignored.
Mental Health Awareness Week is a yearly campaign that aims to highlight the issues people are facing with their mental health whilst offering advice and guidance on how to tackle it. This year, the campaign is taking a closer look at stress and the impact it has on our population.
Stress can be defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
Although stress can be a healthy aspect of daily life when it is controlled and dealt with efficiently, when it becomes extreme, it can act as a gateway to more serious mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
The key to good stress management is building emotional strength, being in control of your situation, having a good social network and adopting a positive outlook. But for some people, achieving this can be extremely challenging.
We’ve put together some tips on stress management as well as some advice on where you can seek help if you find yourself under pressure.
1.) Be active – Try going on a short walk as a form of light exercise. This can help clear your mind as well as having positive physical health benefits.
2.) Recharge – If you enjoy socialising, make plans with friends and family. It could be a nice distraction from the stressful situation you’re in. If you don’t feel like having company, take some time for yourself to do things you enjoy.
3.) Avoid unhealthy habits – Stressful situations sometimes lead to unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol. Try to avoid these because the long term health risks can be serious.
4.) Get enough sleep – Getting enough sleep is important to give your body a chance to replenish itself and be ready for the day. Give yourself the chance to feel well rested.
5.) Meditate – Meditation and mindfulness can help relieve stress as you’ve taken time to escape from daily stressors in a healthy way. Practicing mindfulness can help you establish what is really important in your life and can help you find a more clam perspective.
If you notice yourself feeling increasingly stressed, see if you can make an appointment with your GP or try to talk about it with someone you trust.
Mental Health Resources:
https://www.talkliverpool.nhs.uk
https://www.samaritans.org
http://wellbeingliverpool.org.uk
https://www.headspace.com