Stress is a natural reaction in the body. It is designed to give us short bursts of heightened energy or awareness as part of our instinctive fight or flight reaction which helps us confront or run away from danger. While our ancestors faced danger from predators and their environment, nowadays we are more likely to experience stress because of worries about relationships, money, work, unemployment or ill-health.

Pressure can be good for us as it can help us get things done but excessive stress over a long period of time can make us ill.

Common signs of stress include:

• Sleeping problems
• Sweating
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty concentrating

Making changes to your lifestyle can help you manage stress and improve your wellbeing. These may be big changes, such as switching jobs, or small changes, like taking up a hobby. Try to identify what makes you feel stressed at home or at work. Understanding the causes is the best way to help you avoid or cope with stressors in your life.

Talking to your family and friends or to your GP can help if you feel very anxious or stressed. There are also a variety of tools and techniques for managing stress.

• Eat Healthily: during periods of stress it is more important than ever to eat well, as healthy eating can have a positive effect on your health and emotional wellbeing. We may turn to comfort-eating unhealthy foods to cope with stress. However, this can have a negative impact on your heart health, so should be avoided.
• Be physically active: physical activity releases feel-good hormones in the brain, improving both our physical and mental wellbeing. Get out with the kids or with friends, take the dog for a walk, or take active breaks at work.
• Talk to someone: talking about your feelings can really help identify what is causing the additional stress
• Give something back: volunteering at a local club, church or for a voluntary or community organisation can give you a break and help take your mind off your stresses. Helping others can also help bring perspective to stressful situations.
• Learn how to relax: Find something that helps you to unwind. This could be anything from exercise or sport, to a hobby like crafting or reading, or even simply listening to music or going for a walk. Taking steps to unwind can help stop stress building up and develop a Well Mind feeling.

Our Well Mind programme is a group training course which equips people with healthy coping tools and techniques to prevent or reduce stress in life - Click Here to find out more about Well Mind.

Squared Breathing

Breathing exercises, for example Squared Breathing, are an excellent stress management tool which keep your mind focused and anchored in the present moment.

Reframing

Reframing is a technique which helps you view things in a different, less stressful light.

Non Reactive Awareness

Rather than reacting to emotions or situations, Non-reactive Awarenss is about taking time to respond in a way that causes you less stress.

Mindful Cooking

Mindfulness practice, such as mindful cooking, helps us to live in the present moment by using the natural tools of our breath, our body and our senses as anchors.

Good Mood Foods

Certain foods contain nutrients that can improve our mood and are a much better choice in times of stress than comfort food.

5, 4, 3 , 2, 1

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 is a mindfulness technique which aims to distract your brain from the past or future by forcing it to become aware of things in your immediate environment.