Author: Aileen

Stress is the name given to the release of chemicals into the blood when we find ourselves dealing with a new, demanding or foreign experience. The events that provoke stress are known as stressors and can be stimulated by a wide range of situations in our everyday lives or extraordinary situations that we find ourselves in. Not dealing with stress or allowing stress to build up over a long period of time can lead to you becoming exhausted, sick, unable to concentrate or think clearly - sometimes stress can even lead to a mental breakdown, so it is important to know what signs to look out for and the everyday tips that you can use to manage the impact of stress.

Signs of stress
There are a number of signs to look out for that are related to stress, some of the most common include;

• Problems sleeping,
• Irritability and mood swings,
• Fatigue and tiredness,
• Headaches or migraines,
• Anxiety and constant worry,
• Rapid heartbeat,
• Nervous habits (nail biting, fidgeting) &
• Weight gain or loss (due to over eating or not eating).

Work and Training’s top 9 tips for handling stress

1. Deep breathing: Concentrate on calming down your body and relaxing your mind by breathing deeply before facing the stressful situation. Your mind will be able to help you work through the situation much more effectively if you remain cool, calm and collected.

2. Eat well: Something as small as changing your diet can have a huge impact on your outlook and ability to deal with stress. Poor nutrition leaves you feeling lethargic and unmotivated as well as leading to poor self image – all of these negative emotions can be erased by simply eating well!

3. Set realistic goals: It’s great to have goals in the workplace, but make sure your goals are not unrealistic and unachievable – work with your boss or supervisor to set goals that work for both of you.

4.Exercise: Releases stress relieving hormones to counteract the physical impact of stress and mentally can give your mind a refuge from the situation.

5. Take time out: Don’t spend too much time worrying about what is stressing you. Do something you enjoy doing that will give you a distraction such as catching up with friends, going to the gym, watching a movie or playing sport, it will give you a chance to refocus and come back to the problem with a more positive mindset later.

6. Sleep: Ensure that you give yourself the best possible chance at a good sleep by making your bedroom into a harmonious place reserved for sleeping. Remove distraction such as computers and ensure you have comfortable pillows and bedding. Leaving your worries at the door is a good trick to learn – many people stay awake at night worrying about the issues they will face in the morning.

7. Talk your way through the stress: Situations always seem much worse when dealing with them alone, make sure you talk about issues that you are having with friends and family who can offer advice or just an ear to talk to.

8. Solve little problems: Starting with the little problems that you can do something about will give you a sense of control and more confidence when tackling the bigger issues

9. Meditation and relaxation: Learning some simple relaxation and meditation techniques will help you to calm yourself down, a really easy exercise is to find a quiet room and tense each group of muscles for 10 seconds then relax them for 10 seconds.

Is there something else that works for you?