From time to time, stress is a common experience for everyone, but if it persists over an extended period and becomes chronic stress, it can have negative effects on an individual’s mental well-being and lead to medical issues.
What is the definition of stress?
The NHS defines stress as our body’s response to external pressures or demands, this can be in the form of feeling under pressure or feeling threatened. Being stressed can lead to a psychological and physiological response to external pressures or demands, which can include physical, emotional, or mental challenges. Although the NHS would not class stress as an illness, it can cause some serious illnesses.
When we experience stress, our bodies release the stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can trigger the “fight or flight” response. While this can be helpful in short-term, high-pressure situations, prolonged stress can result in chronic activation of this response, which can cause a range of physical and psychological symptoms. It is a natural reaction that can be triggered by a range of situations, such as work demands, financial worries, relationship issues, or traumatic events.
Types of Stress, Signs, & Symptoms
Stress can manifest through various signs and symptoms, which can be classified as cognitive, emotional, physical, or behavioural. These symptoms can vary in severity, ranging from mild to severe. While some degree of stress can be normal and even beneficial in certain situations, chronic or excessive stress can have negative impacts on a person’s physical and mental health.
Physical symptoms may include:
- Frequent headaches
- Tense muscles
- Stomach issues (e.g. stomach ulcers)
- Feeling sick
- Vomiting
- Low or loss of libido
- Increased or rapid heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Feeling constantly tired
Cognitive symptoms may include:
- Difficulty concentrating or thinking
- Difficulty sleeping
- Memory problems
- Negatively impact self-confidence
- Constantly worrying
- Trouble making decisions
Emotional symptoms may include:
- Feelings of emptiness or numbness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable
- Persistent sadness or a sense of worthlessness
- Difficulty controlling one’s emotions or outbursts of anger
- Changes in appetite, either overeating or not eating enough
- Sleep problems, such as either sleeping too much or having trouble falling or staying asleep
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
Behavioural symptoms may include:
- Changes in eating and sleeping habits
- Withdrawing from social life
- Anxious habits such as nail biting, grinding teeth
- increased consumption of substances, such as caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol or other drugs
- Neglect responsibilities at work and with family
- Productivity declines
What makes us stressed?
Stress can be triggered by a variety of instances and experiences from everyday life, such as work-related pressures, relationship issues, health concerns, and academic challenges, which can leave us feeling stressed. Managing work-related stress can cause a person’s mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, but long term stress can cause cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal problems. Major life changes and traumatic events can bring on very high stress levels, including the loss of a loved one, divorce, financial difficulties, or losing a job unexpectedly.
Surprisingly, positive life changes, such as getting a job promotion, moving to a larger home, or going on vacation, can also cause stress. It may be difficult to understand or communicate your feelings in these situations, leading to additional stress.
How Does Stress Affect and Impact Mental Health?
Stress can have a significant impact on our mental health by causing or exacerbating symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. Additionally, stress can affect our ability to concentrate, make decisions, and cope with daily challenges, leading to decreased productivity, irritability, and decreased overall quality of life. Over time, untreated stress can lead to burnout, emotional exhaustion, and even more severe mental health problems. Stress can exacerbate existing mental health conditions and increase the likelihood of developing new ones.Therefore, it’s essential to identify and manage stress early on to maintain optimal mental health.
Experiencing stress in our daily lives can leave us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and drained. However, when this stress becomes chronic, it can have a significant impact on our health it can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Therefore, it’s crucial to manage stress effectively and find healthy coping mechanisms to maintain good mental health. By doing so, we can reduce the risk of worsening existing mental health conditions or developing new ones.
Who is affected by stress?
We’ve all probably felt some of those feelings described earlier at some point in our life, right? Stress affects everyone differently; some people are affected more than others. For instance, some people find just getting out the door on time in the morning can be a real nightmare, while others don’t bat an eye at high-pressure situations.
It’s important to recognize that some groups of people are more likely experience stressful situations than others. For example:
- People with a lot of debt or financial insecurity.
- Minority ethnic groups or LGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to stress about prejudice and discrimination.
- Those with disabilities or long-term health conditions may face stress related to their health or the stigma that can come with it.
It’s crucial that we understand and support these individuals and work to reduce the stress they face in their daily lives.
Managing and Coping Strategies
Too much stress can make it hard for an individual to cope, leading to them having emotional distress and have feelings of anxiety as well as physical symptoms, such as headaches.
- Identify your stressors: The first step in managing stress is to identify what triggers it. Keeping a journal or a mental note of what situations or events make you feel stressed can help you identify patterns and take steps to avoid or manage those triggers.
- Practice stress management and relaxation techniques: There are many techniques you can use to help reduce stress, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or tai chi. Practicing these techniques regularly can help you feel more calm and more centered.
- Exercising regularly: Physical exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve your overall mood. Even just a few minutes of exercise each day can make a big difference.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and avoiding drugs and alcohol can help you manage stress and improve your overall well-being.
- Connect with others: Spending time with friends and family, or joining a support group, can help you feel more connected and less isolated, which can reduce stress.
- Seek professional help if needed: If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, it’s important to seek professional help. A therapist or counsellor can provide support and guidance to help you cope with stress and develop coping strategies.
- Practice self care: When you have feelings of being stressed or you experience a low mood do an activity which re-balances your mind and body. For example, sleeping enough, eating healthy, spending time with loved ones, and engaging in relaxing or enjoyable activities.
Be kind to yourself: Daily life can have a negative impact on your mental health, but try and put things into perspective and try not to be too hard on yourself. You are only one person who is doing the best they can, where a lot of situations are out of your control.
Get professional and confidential support
If you continue to feel overwhelmed and cannot cope with your stress, and are experiencing chronic stress, anxiety or depression, then seeking practical advice from a professional, such as a doctor or therapist, is the first step to helping you feel better.
Resoruces:
Schools can get access to support in their schools through our recently launched course Awareness of Learner Wellbeing and also our Senior Mental Health Lead training.
Don’t forget to check out our ‘After The Bell’ podcast, which you can listen to on a weekly basis on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
If you would like any more information, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at info@connex-academy.com or call 01253 543 660.
