Publish date: 7 April 2022
April marks the start of Stress Awareness Month. According to the Mental Health Foundation 74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point over the last year that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Millions of people around UK are experiencing high levels of stress and it is damaging our health. Stress is one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time, but it is still not treated with the same urgency as physical health issues. Stress is a significant factor in mental health problems including anxiety and depression. It is also linked to physical health problems like heart disease, problems with our immune system, insomnia and digestive problems. Individually we need to understand what is causing us personal stress and learn what steps we can take to reduce it for ourselves and those around us.
Stress Awareness Month has been held every April, since 1992, to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.
The 30 Day Challenge
If you are looking for ways to decrease your stress this month then why not get involved in the 30 Day Challenge. The 30 Day Challenge encourages you to pick one action each for your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing to carry out every day.
This is a month-long programme because it takes 30 days to turn actions into habits. The 30-day challenge will help you transform valuable skills and strategies into meaningful behavioural change.
To find more about the 30 Day Challenge visit: https://www.stress.org.uk/30daychallenge/
What else could you do for Stress Awareness Month?
- Talk about stress and its effects – lets work together to reduce the stigma that is associated with stress by talking about the topic openly and freely with friends, family and colleagues.
- Share your coping mechanisms – if something has worked for you, why not share it. It might benefit someone you care about and, in the meantime, it might help you take your focus off your own challenges.
- Be nice to those who are stressed and anxious – we are all undoubtedly going to experience stress and anxiety in our lifetime so treat others going through it with compassion and empathy.
- Look after yourself – we all need to think more about self–care. Take time out of your day to relax or do something that you enjoy. Don’t forget to exercise and eat well, even (and most importantly) when you feel too stressed.
The most crucial thing you can do when you are stressed or anxious is to make sure you are continuing to look after yourself. Make time to relax when you need to and learn to say no to requests that are too much for you.
More information about local mental health services is avaialable on Tameside CCG's website.
