If you find yourself lost in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, you should know that you’re never alone. We fight with the demands of everyday life and although they will never disappear, we need to focus on the ways we can alleviate some of the pressures. As we learn to deal with our stress it is important to share our coping mechanisms with those around us.
In a recent article, The Guardian discusses the coping strategies for stress and ways you can protect your physical and mental wellbeing. Our general understanding of stress is that it often acts as a trigger for countless physical problems such as, “high blood pressure, heart disease and heart attacks, and stroke”. Whilst not the only factor, excessive stress combined with other lifestyle choices do impact our physical wellbeing in serious ways. The key to reducing the risk of health complications later in life is by tackling stress early.
Stress is a genuine reaction to a multitude of factors, whether it is surrounding work, health or relationships it should never be overlooked – it is okay not to be okay. In a society where media has the power to distort our perspective of reality, stress is often disguised behind a smile. Avoiding the topic of stress only encourages it to be something that we fear and demonize until it is ignored entirely. It makes that sudden feeling of anxiety seem illogical or uncommon when it is a frequent feeling for most of us, just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
Let’s make a change
There is no way to eliminate stressful situations, but it is how you deal with them that will change your mindset and your ability to survive them. Taking care of yourself is the first step, whilst this may seem like the obvious answer once stress takes over food and sleep fail to be a priority. It is easy to neglect the things your body needs when you mind is preoccupied with other problems. Another way to ensure that stress is reduced is by surrounding yourself with a good support system, “the feeling that other people care about us activates the brain’s “soothing system” for managing stress”. Whether it is family, friends or work colleagues sharing your worries with others can reassure you that your feelings are valued.
Whilst we all experience stress, “everyone’s experience of stress is different” so it is impossible to make comparisons. The most important message to take from this is that everyone is individual and there is no universal solution to coping or dealing with stress. Although you can’t take away someone’s stress, sometimes all it takes is a simple act of kindness to make them feel appreciated and understood.
So, let’s spread a little kindness and take back control because we are in this together.
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Our consumer PR agency specialises in connecting everyday brands with everyday people across four core sectors; Consumer PR, Food and Drink PR, Retail PR and Sport, Health & Wellbeing PR.
