Every year, National Stress Awareness Day, observed on the first Wednesday of November, serves as a gentle reminder to slow down, breathe, and reflect on how stress affects both mind and body.
The day has a powerful purpose: to raise awareness about the impact of stress and promote effective ways to manage it.
Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to stress.
Stress is our body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. When we are stressed, our body releases a hormone called adrenaline, which usually gives us a boost or motivates us to act quickly. Too much stress can have a negative impact on our body and mind.
How stress affects us
Stress can affect our emotions, our body and our behaviours. There are some key things to look out for. You may:
- be irritable, angry or tearful
- feel worried, anxious, hopeless or scared
- struggle to make decisions, have racing thoughts or feel overwhelmed
- have stomach problems, stress headaches and other odd pains including muscle pain
- have skin reactions, like stress rashes and hives
- Feel dizzy, sick or faint
Stress can sometimes cause high blood pressure and chest pains – but these symptoms should stop when your stress goes away. If you have any symptoms you are worried about, or feel you have more severe stress, please contact your GP practice.
Top tips to manage stress
Plan ahead
If you know you have a stressful or busy day coming up, make sure you plan ahead. Create a to-do list, plan your journey, make a list of things you need to take. Planning ahead of time can help you to relieve stress.
Be more active
Being active regularly can help you to burn off nervous energy, so it could be a way for you to deal with stress. Exercise might also help you manage or reduce stress. Exercise might also help you manage or reduce stress. This doesn’t mean you have to become a gym bunny; it’s about moving a little more and building this into your daily life. Greater Manchester walking might be a great place to start for inspiration and support.
Split up big tasks
You might feel less stressed if you can take practical steps, such as breaking a task down into easier, more manageable chunks. And give yourself credit when you finish a task.
Talk to someone
Trust friends, family and colleagues, or contacting a helpline, can help us when we are struggling. We’ve listed a number of support services below that enable you to reach out for help if you need to speak to someone.
Try positive thinking
This is easier said than done, but positive thinking can help you to stress less. Take time to think about the good things in your life. Each day, list 3 things you’re thankful for, however small.
Try self-help techniques
The NHS has a number of short videos and practical guides to cognitive behavioural therapy CBT that can help you to stress less, but working through new problems in a new way. The NHS has information to help you give CBT a go.
Get a personalised mind plan
A quick online tool that gives you a personalised plan with tips to help you stress less, deal with anxiety, improve your sleep, boost your mood and feel more in control. Get your mind plan.
Visit Get to Know Where to Go for other mental health support services
