Stress!

Love it or hate it we all suffer with stress at some point in our lives. Whether that’s school, home or work it will affect each and every one of us. There are differnt types of stress and it affects us all in different ways. A little stress is good for us, but when it spirals out of control it can be hard to manage and also can make you feel very poorly.

Stress is our bodies way of responding to pressures, whether that be internal or external.

There are many signs, symptoms and feelings related to stress, including; Aches and pains, Acne, Afraid, Aggressive, Alcohol misuse, Altered bowel habits (diarrhoea or caonstipation), Altered libido (sex drive), Anger, Anxiety, Chest pain, Depressed, Digestive problems, Frustrated, Headaches, Indigestion, Indecisive, Inflexible, Insomnia, Irritable, Heart Palpitations, Nausea and vomiting, Sad, Shallow breathing, Short tempered and snappy, Social withdrawal, Sweating, Tearful plus many more.

There are many ways you can deal with stress, there are also many people who can help you to get through your wobbly times. Sometimes you need to see your GP/practice nurse as you may need medication prescribing, however there are ways you can manage your stress yourself.

The first thing to do is recognise when you are feeling stressed and start trying to put things in place to help you. Build trusting, supportive relationships. We all need that one (maybe more) person we can rely on when we feel wobbly. Take some time out. You may feel as though this is impossible, but that word says it all, as Audrey Hepburn says “the word itself says Im Possible”. My suggesition is writing your name in your diary as if you have an appointment, and making sure you KEEP that appointment. Do something for you that you enjoy, whether it be an hour a week or more YOU are important. Self cafre is essential, not selfish. Wherever possible eat feel good foods, which will help you. We all like a take away or naughty foods but binging on these will not help your mood or health long term. If you smoke or drink, be aware that this is not spiralling out of control. Is there anything you can change? Is there anyone who can help you? Help me is one of the hardest things to say, but also one of the most important! We all need help, and it is nothing to be ashamed of, infact you should be proud of yourself for asking.

The most important thing to remember is BE KIND TO YOURSELF, you are doing the best you can!!