We will start by giving you

What is stress?

Stress is a feeling of being under abnormal pressure.This pressure can come from different aspects of your day to day life. Such as an increased workload, a transitional period, an argument you have with your family or new and existing financial worries. You may find that it has a cumulative effect, with each stressor building on top of one another.

During these situations you may feel threatened or upset and your body might create a stress response. This can cause a variety of physical symptoms, change the way you behave, and lead you to experience more intense emotions.

Stress affects us in a number of ways, both physically and emotionally and in varying intensities.

How can I identify the signs of stress?

Everyone experiences stress. However, when it is affecting your life, health and wellbeing, it is important to tackle it as soon as possible, and while stress affects everyone differently, there are common signs and symptoms you can look out for:

Three steps to take when feeling stressed

1. Realise when it is causing you a problem

2. Identify the causes

3. Review your lifestyle

Seven steps to help protect yourself from stress

1. Eat healthily

2. Be aware of smoking and drinking alcohol

3. Exercise

4.Take time out

5. Be mindful

6. Get some restful sleep

7. Don’t be too hard on yourself

How can you help yourself?

Stress is a natural reaction to many situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and money problems.

A moderate amount of stress can help us perform better in challenging situations, but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems. This can include lower immunity levels, digestive and intestinal difficulties, e.g. irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),or mental health problems such as depression. It is therefore important that we manage our stress and keep it at a healthy level to prevent long-term damage to our bodies and minds.

Remember to seek help and support when you need it

Remember, that it is okay to ask for professional help. If you feel that you are struggling to manage on your own, then you can reach out. It is important to know that you can get help as soon as possible, and that you deserve to get better.

The first person to approach is your family doctor. He or she should be able to give advice about treatment, and may refer you to another local professional. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (this is a type of therapy that works by helping you to understand that your thoughts and actions can affect the way you feel) and Mindfulness based approaches are known to help reduce stress. There are also a number of voluntary organisations which can help you to tackle the causes of stress and advise you about ways to get better.