We hear the word stress a lot these days, and there is not a week that goes by without an HR report that lands in my email box reporting how stress and low morale is affecting the workforce. As a nation we are experiencing a collective stress as we are fed daily news bulletins on climate change, global recession, cut backs and redundancies.
Furthermore Compounded by the fact that we have high expectations and can lay on the pressure more and more. We aren’t invincible and inevitably at some point we reach boiling point where we begin to feel more and more out control displaying inevitable cracks until it ll comes crashing down and we make ourselves ill.
During the week, to acknowledge National Stress Awareness Day, I attended an illuminating seminar led by Neil Shah, founder member of the Stress Management Society, I liked his metaphor of stress as a bridge that has more and more buildings, tankers, double-decker busses and the like placed upon it until it starts to creak, groan and eventually collapse. When cracks begin to appear what we require when we are experiencing excessive stress is support mechanisms.
Several years ago I experienced a very unpleasant period of stress in my life. It was a time when I was juggling several things. I had just taken on a new developmental role, in an area that was new to me, I was on a steep learning curve. In order to make a go of it and succeed during this period I was working up to 50 -60 hours a week, I can only describe it at the time as a horrible experience I barely slept and felt I wasn’t managing very well in any area of my life. As a working mother my family life suffered my health and also my confidence. In hindsight it was a valuable experience, it taught me to value my family my health and my priorities. It made me look long and hard at what was I attempting to prove to push myself so hard.
There are times when we all pile on the stress, and periodically I still do push myself and take on too much beyond what is reasonable. The key thing is I recognise it when it is happening and have the strategies to stop, re-stock calm down and go at it in a much more agreeable focused pace.
What are the symptoms of stress?
Stress can manifest in a variety of symptoms, ranging from physical to psychological and behavioural, we can all experience these to a varying degree.
Physical symptoms include:
An increased heart rate, insomnia, frequent tiredness, a change in breathing patterns, headaches, dizziness, indigestion or heartburn, sudden weight loss or gain and nail-biting
Psychological symptoms include:
Anxious thoughts, irritability, low self-esteem and an increased lack of confidence, an inability to concentrate, feeling fearful and unable to cope. Stressed people also experience difficulty in making decisions, feeling negative with a lack of interest in life, alienation-feeling alone, a loss of creativity, withdrawal from family, friends, colleagues and work, intense frustration and confusion.
Behavioural symptoms to look out for are:
insufficient sleep, increased use of drugs or alcohol, changes in appetite, argumentative, loss of sense of humour, avoiding situations, changing habits, teeth grinding, neglect of physical appearance, and a lack of concentration and working late.
Here are some articles tips and ideas on combating stress.
Stress no laughing matter- quick stress buster tips
How do you reward yourself at the end of the day?
Effects of redundancy How to cope
Nicola Menage's Blog 