Learning to De–Stress! Celebrating National Stress Awareness Day

Today, 2^nd November, is National Stress Awareness Day, aimed at helping people to deal with and avoid stress.

Stress Management has never been more relevant than it is today.  Recent research has emphasised that stress levels have doubled in four years.  Statistics from MIND show that half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill and that twelve million adults see their GP with mental health problems each year, much of which is stress related.

As such, this year’s theme is based on “Wellbeing and Resilience at Work”

Why are we more stressed?

With our current economic climate, the increasing number of redundancies and the growing uncertainty of job security, has inevitably lead to a lot of worries.  People are concerned about their financial situations, paying back mortgages or how they will provide for their families.

In the work place, stress can be caused by relationship conflicts between colleagues, greater workload and pressure, which can also lead to depression.  Depression and issues from work are one of the main causes of stress reported by patients when they visit their GP’s.  

National Stress Awareness Day asks whether you have a technique or routine to help you combat tension?

We all know that stress is harmful for our overall health and wellbeing.  It can have a negative impact on our body, the way we feel and can also affect the way we operate and behave.  However, feeling stressed is reversible and we can all take certain steps to ensure we cope with pressure and also learn how to relax and take time out for ourselves.  It could be something as simple as taking a bath, writing a diary, listening to music, doing physical activity.   

MIND have identified Ten Top Tips to tackle stress, as well as guides on how to relax, manage stress and also how to improve your mental wellbeing.

For further information on National Stress Awareness Day and ways to support it, please visit the International Stress Management Association UK  

Celebrating World Mental Health Day 2011

Today October 10th 2011 is World Mental Health Day.

The yearly event which is celebrated worldwide was created by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise public awareness of mental health issues.

It is believed that around 154 million people around the world suffer from depression, therefore, it is likely that you or someone you know will be affected by mental illness during your lifetime.

The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to encourage all of us to talk openly about mental illnesses and to eradicate any stigmas attached to it.  The day also aims to highlight treatment and preventative measures that are available to all of us.

    

The day is organised with the help of the World Federation for Mental Health which was founded in 1948 to prevent emotional and mental health disorders and to offer help to those who need it.  This year people can show their support by making a donation at the World Federation for Mental Health website, or by joining in with one of the events organised for the day.

For further information on World Mental Health Day, please visit the official website by clicking here.