April is Stress Awareness month - a month to raise awareness of the causes of modern-day stresses and empowering individuals to effectively manage stress while prioritising their mental wellbeing.

We aim to delve into the concept of stress, its underlying causes, recognisable signs and symptoms, prevalence in the workplace, and practical strategies for managing stress and looking after your mental health.

What is Stress?

Stress is the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. According to Anxiety UK, stress is when we think the demands placed upon us exceed our ability to cope.

It is very common, and it can have positive benefits. It can motivate you to achieve goals and manage the demands of home and work life. Nevertheless, excessive stress can significantly impact one's mood, physical well-being, and interpersonal relationships.

What Causes Stress?

Many things can cause stress. It might be one major event or situation in your life or a collection of smaller things adding up over time.

Even happy events like weddings or having a baby can still be stressful because they bring significant changes and pressure to remain positive.

Signs and Symptoms of Stress

How people experience stress will vary from person to person, but you may experience symptoms such as:

Behaviours such as:

• Avoiding people and places
• Changes to your habits in relation to eating and exercise
• Substance misuse

Emotions such as feeling:

• Irritable or angry
• Anxious or worried
• Tearful
• Indecisive
• Overwhelmed

Physical symptoms such as:

• Stomach problems, headaches, or other aches and pains
• Nausea
• Palpitations, shaking or feeling faint
• Exhaustion, low energy, or trouble sleeping

How to Manage Stress

If you're feeling stressed, whether by your job or something more personal, the first step to feeling better is to identify the cause.

Self-help strategies and self-care are great methods to manage stress as they boost your mood. Some examples include:

• Get organised
• Practice mindfulness 
• Identify your triggers
• Find an exercise you enjoy
• Talk to others and ask for help when you need it

 

 

How AWARE NI Can Help

We deliver educational mental health and wellbeing programmes across Northern Ireland. These programmes can provide you with the tools to look after your mental and emotional wellbeing and help you to recognise the signs of mental ill-health and know where to get help.

For information on AWARE's wellbeing programmes, click here.

AWARE Support Groups welcome those living with depression, anxiety or bipolar, and their families and carers. The groups provide an opportunity to meet others going through similar experiences as you.

For information on AWARE's support services, click here.