Stress

stress-2061408

Whether it is short-term or long-term, the impact of stress can be devastating, not just for you but also for your family and friends.

Stress is a normal human response to any incident that upsets the balance of your life. This means that even happy, positive events such as a promotion at work or your daughter graduating from university can produce stress. It is not the result just of situations where you are sad, angry, or frustrated such as escalating marital difficulties, financial concerns, or the death of a close friend.

Your stress might be over in a few hours as a conflict with your partner is resolved, short term or it might build for months, as your relationship starts to fall apart.

Typical mental and emotional indicators of stress are inability to concentrate, poor judgment, general anxiety, irritability, and a sense of isolation.

There are also physical symptoms such as chest pain, eating problems, difficulty sleeping, depression,anxiety and abuse of alcohol or drugs for relaxation.

If you learn how to manage your stress, there are long-term benefits for you and more importantly your health.

There are techniques for adapting to the cause of the stress or, if it is not something you can change, learning how to manage it. A healthier lifestyle with sensible food choices and time for exercise and fun provides a solid base for managing stress in all areas of your life. The benefits of learning to manage stress are long-term. You will feel better physically and be more stable emotionally. It will be easier for you to cope with the inevitable stresses and strains of life, but you will not be creating them or making the situations worse because you feel so off-balance.

You can learn how to take charge of your reaction to life events.

Life will never be stress-free either at home or at work, or in your relationships, but it can be more enjoyable.

Top Tips for reducing stress:

Work life balance
Exercise
Nutritional balanced diet
Self Care
Enriching relationships

Article by Diane Pulley

Diane Pulley is a BACP accredited and UKRC psychotherapist and Life Coach having graduated from Warwick university. She has worked in private practise for many years with clients presenting various issues, from trauma, depression, anxiety and self confidence. Diane works with both individuals and couples. Her experience has lead her to work with corporate clients delivering stress management training for both staff and management. Aspire You has been born from a personal journey, of Diane's own marriage breaking down after 28 years, when she identified there is a need to support women through this process and help them rebuild their lives. "everyone has the potential to lead fulfilling lives and i am committed to helping individuals achieve that desire"