Stress Awareness Month
This Stress Awareness Month we’re sharing some tips and advice on how you could reduce the level of stress in your everyday life.
From a poor work-life balance, a lack of physical activity and interrupted sleep, many factors may contribute to us feeling burnt out, overwhelmed and generally frazzled.
Read on to see how you could improve your mental wellbeing and become more resilient against stress…
Cut down on alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it slows down neural activity and can interfere with our mood, thoughts and behaviour. There are close links between alcohol and mental health, including the use of alcohol to mask or reduce symptoms of mental-ill health, which can lead to dependency and cause further mental health problems.
Moderate your alcohol intake and don’t rely on it to manage stress. Instead, try to replace drinking with more positive coping mechanisms like exercise or doing something that you enjoy, for example a hobby or activity with friends.
You’ll find more tips on how to cut down over on the Healthy Lifestyles section of our website!
Improve your work-life balance
Did you know that a year’s worth of lunch breaks equates to almost 6 extra weeks of annual leave?
Reclaim your lunch break for you by getting out and going for a short walk. You’ll also feel the benefit of getting some fresh air and exercise!
For more tips on how to balance work and life, head to our page on workplace wellbeing.
Get moving
We all know that exercise is great for our physical health. However, its benefits for mental health are sometimes underestimated.
Taking regular exercise has a huge impact on our mental wellbeing and our ability to cope with stress.
Whether it’s going for a walk or hitting the gym, doing something that gets you moving will help you feel energised, improve your mood and boost your self-esteem.
For more tips, just head to the Staying Fit section of our website!
Make sleep a priority
Most of us could probably do with getting more sleep.
However, 79% of us struggle to switch off at bedtime and 60% of us wake up in the night with thoughts of work and other worries.
As well as tiredness, a lack of sleep can result in us being less productive and more irritable and emotional.
It can even impact our immune system and leave us more susceptible to becoming unwell.
If you’re struggling to sleep, read the latest article from our Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Angela Wood.
For more advice on how to reduce stress, take a look at our Wellbeing Blog post on mindfulness and anxiety.
