Stress Management Coaching. Outdoor and Online Coaching. Oundle, Stamford, Kettering, Peterborough. Stress relief & stress relief techniques Professional Declutterer and home organisation
Stress Management Coaching. Outdoor and Online Coaching. Oundle, Stamford, Kettering, Peterborough.
Understanding Stress
"Stress is the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure."
- NHS​​
Stress Triggers
Modern day triggers which can induce a fight or flight response are many and vary from person to person. They span major life events such as bereavement, becoming a parent, divorce, moving house and unemployment, to relatively minor irritations such as observing someone park their car inconsiderately or having an argument with someone at work or with a family member. When we are chronically stressed we respond to smaller, more trivial triggers which we would not respond to if we were not stressed. Other triggers include financial worries, health, lack of social contact, perceived threats, negative thinking, emotional trauma, excessive workload, unrealistic expectations, social media, alcohol (consuming alcohol increases cortisol release) and a person’s environment.
You can read more about environmental stress here.
ENDEMIC
If you are stressed, then you are not alone. 91% of UK adults have felt high or extreme levels of pressure or stress over the past year, according to Mental Health UK's Burnout Report 2024, with 1 in 5 needing time off work.
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Stress is our response to something, whether that is a significant life event or something seemingly trivial which may happen multiple times everyday. Stress response is individual; we all respond in different ways to different stress triggers. For that reason, if you know someone who is suffering with stress, it is important not to trivialise their stress triggers. After all, they may not find your triggers stressful!
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There are many causes of stress today. From reading that first email of the day before you've even got out of bed, to working with people whose values don't align with your own. Watching too much news, worrying about the cost of living or caring for a poorly relative.
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Stress is not a reflection of a person's strength or character; it is inbuilt in all of us.
GOOD & BAD
Not all stress is bad. Human beings are designed with an internal stress response in order to deal with challenging situations. Our ancestors used the stress response to escape from being eaten by lions. Nowadays, the stress response can help us to meet a work deadline or deliver a presentation to a large group of people. When activated the stress response increases blood pressure, heart rate and blood glucose. We can benefit from increased focus and productivity as a result. After the deadline or presentation has passed, our blood pressure lowers and our tense muscles relax.
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However, too much continual stress on a daily basis can cause us significant health & wellbeing problems. Modern everyday life is absolutely full of stress triggers.
Having the tools and knowledge to deal with stress triggers is critical to a person's wellbeing.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Stress can lead to a person feeling irritable, angry, frustrated, worried, overwhelmed, apathetic, hopeless, sad, lonely, tense and fearful. A person may experience racing thoughts. They may be unable to find things funny or to laugh and they may be unable to enjoy themselves. They may feel a loss of, or lack of, control.
BEHAVIOURAL
A person suffering with stress may display altered behaviour including irritability or snapping at other people. They may be unable to concentrate or experience poorer memory than usual and they might find it unusually hard to make decisions.
They may start to consume or increase their consumption of alcohol, tobacco and/or drugs. An increase or decrease in the consumption of food, especially an increased consumption of unhealthy food is often displayed. Someone who already regularly exercises may increase the amount of time that they exercise for, often to unhealthy levels. Other people may decrease the time they spend exercising. Some people may withdraw from social groups and some may experience decreased libido. Biting nails, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, fidgeting and rapid speech are all signs of stress.
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PHYSICAL
Chronic stress (stress experienced persistently over a long period of time) can have a significant and detrimental effect on our physical health.
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The effects of stress on the body can include muscle tension & pain, fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, sleep problems and insomnia, changes in breathing, panic attacks, changes to appetite and weight, skin problems such as itchy skin or rashes, sweating, teeth grinding and/or jaw clenching, changes to menstrual cycle and blurred vision.
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Chronic stress has also been linked to various chronic health conditions including Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) (including heart attack, hypertension & stroke), Chronic Fatigue, Metabolic Syndrome (Type 2 Diabetes, obesity) and reduced immune function.
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Links have also been made between chronic stress and dementia.
You do not have to live in a state of stress
Everyone can learn powerful stress relief techniques for significantly improved wellbeing
In 2024, life is ever-increasingly intense and complex. Building resilience is more important now than ever before
If you would like to understand more about Stress Management Coaching and working with Hannah, please get in touch.
Sources:
NHS England, The Mayo Clinic, Mind UK, The American Psychological Association (APA), The British Heart Foundation (BHF), Alzheimer's Society, Mental Health UK