STRESS BUSTER TOOLKIT

Health is more than the absence of a physical illness.  Our sense of health and wellbeing depends on us feeling emotionally and socially healthy.  Emotionally we need to feel good about ourselves - “I’m ok.”  Socially we need to care about and feel cared for, by those around us.

 

    

 

The symptoms of stress don’t appear overnight, there are usually early warning signs.  Symptoms such as headaches, tiredness, stomach problems, frequent colds or high blood pressure.  Increased irritability, ‘short fuse’, sudden tears, change in sleeping patterns and increased drinking and smoking, can all be the body’s way of telling us to ease up.

If early warning signs are ignored we may become over tired and exhausted.  If overly tired we tend to restrict physical exercise and fitness starts to decline.  If we feel physically unfit it can affect our social and emotional wellbeing.  

When we are tired our performance may be adversely affected.  As performance declines we may become more and more anxious, afraid that we will not achieve all that we need to do.  

Concentration and our ability to make decisions may be affected.  In this situation we can end up going around in circles.

 

 

The more the symptoms of stress take over the more likely we are to put our own health needs to the bottom of our priority “to do” list.

It is important when dealing with stress to give ourselves the time we need to make the necessary changes to regain control in our life.  This involves looking at all sides of the health triangle and aiming to improve physical, mental and social health.