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What is the cause of stress?
Most people experience stress from time to time, and some people even find stress to be inspiring. However, there are strategies you may employ if stress is negatively affecting your life.
The main causes of stress:
Feeling a lot of pressure
Are you dealing with major changes in your life?
You have little or no influence on the outcome of a situation.
Have you been given tasks that you find overwhelming?
Lack of jobs, activity, or change in your life
Have you faced prejudice, hatred, or abuse?
Are experiencing a season of uncertainty
What are the symptoms of stress?
Chest pain or a faster heartbeat. A panic attack's physical symptoms are produced by your body shifting into "fight or flight" mode. Your breathing rate increases as your body attempts to take in more oxygen. Your body also produces hormones such as adrenaline, which causes your heart to race and your muscles to stiffen. This often happens when you are stressed.
headaches or dizziness. This is sometimes caused by abrupt shift in blood pressure, which can cause wooziness or light-headedness. More often than not, this is due to the effect that stress chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline may have on the inner ear.
Feeling Overwhelmed. Overwhelmed people frequently have emotional and physical reactions to stressful events. These emotions, which might feel comparable to stress and worry, can impair rational thinking and planning. They may shut down, avoiding stressful situations such as meetings or job interviews because they are overwhelmed and unmanageable. Individuals who are overburdened may feel overwhelmed by a mound of homework, social engagements, or duties, making it difficult to deal with the problem.
Being irritable and snappy. A stressful situation might make a person more irritable than normal. When someone goes through a stressful life event, such as job, school, trauma, or sorrow, they may find it difficult to control their emotions and may get overwhelmed.
Find out more about stress on the NHS website. NHS Link
Engaging videos explaining stress.
A Tedx and a Ted Ed video on the effects of stress. Ted is not a official health organization.
Please always consult your regional health organization for medical & health information.
Visit the NHS website for health information (UK): https://www.nhs.uk/
Want to read instead?
This video explains how stress affects your brain. When you're constantly overwhelmed, it can change your brain's structure and functioning. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, which can make your fear centre more active and mess up your ability to learn and remember things. It can even shrink your brain and lead to mental health issues.
However, there's good news! Exercise and meditation can help fight the negative effects of stress by reducing stress levels and improving memory. Take control of your stress to protect your brain and well-being. You've got this!
Stress alters the brain and can harm learning, memory, and mental health, but exercise and meditation can help soothe these effects.
Need a summary of the video?
Alan Cohen, a GP with 25 years of experience and the Primary Health Advisor for the National Institute of Mental Health, explains that stress is the body's response to external pressures, causing physical changes like sweating, worry, frustration, or anger.
While stress can enhance performance, it can also hinder productivity and cause communication issues. Chronic stress can have significant negative impacts on overall well-being.
Common stressors include work-related pressures, financial difficulties, and employment concerns. When stress becomes detrimental, individuals may experience anxiety, depression, and difficulty managing tasks.
Cohen emphasizes the mind-body connection, emphasizing that mental health issues can manifest as physical symptoms due to the interconnected nature of our mind and body. To effectively diagnose and treat stress, Cohen requires active listening, understanding the patient's perception of symptoms, and exploring possible explanations.
Stress affects performance, causes chronic stress, and requires open conversations for effective management.
What can the NHS do?
The NHS provides information and support for stress management through their website, offering resources to help individuals understand and address the feelings, symptoms, and behaviours associated with stress.
The NHS recommends to refer yourself to therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) via the NHS service and you can refer yourself directly without the intervention with from a GP.
Find out more about NHS talking therapies here. NHS Link
The NHS has split stress into 3 different levels of urgency and how to respond to it. They say to see a GP when "you are struggling to cope" and "you would prefer to get a referral from a GP". The NHS also advices to call 111 or request a urgent GP appointment when "you need help urgently, but its not an emergency". As a final resort the NHS say to call 999 or go to A&E when "you or someone you know needs immediate help" and/or "you have seriously harmed yourself – for example, by taking a drug overdose" as this is classed as a medical emergency.
Please do not take action without consulting the NHS website as you should always consult your regional health organization for medical & health information.
Visit the NHS website for health information on stress (UK): NHS Link
The NHS has many different routes on how to deal with stress. Support is always available!
Finding the causes of stress.
Identifying the causes of stress can facilitate effective management, with potential stressors including work pressures, family conflicts, financial difficulties, health issues, and significant life events. While it may be challenging to articulate these feelings, discussing them with someone can aid in finding solutions.
Identifying the causes of stress can facilitate effective management. Some examples of stressors include:
Academic pressures, exams, or challenges at school
Friendship or relationship issues, breakups, or conflicts
Financial concerns related to personal expenses or part-time jobs
Coping with health issues, injuries, or loss of a loved one
Dealing with significant life changes like transitioning to a new school, moving, or family dynamics
Remember, these are just some examples, and everyone's experiences may vary. It's important to recognize that stress can arise from various aspects of life, and seeking support from trusted individuals can make a difference in managing and overcoming these challenges.
Stress is more common around young people so if you can minimise the causes of stress, it will lead to a better and more positive life.
Is there any extra support?
The Mind stress page discusses resilience, stress management, and barriers to resilience, emphasizing that these factors can vary based on personal experiences.
It emphasizes that removing these barriers is not solely an individual's responsibility.
Tips for managing stress include being kind to oneself, finding time for relaxation, pursuing interests, spending time in nature, and maintaining physical health. Building a support network, identifying triggers, and organizing time effectively are also crucial for resilience.
Mind, a charity, offers campaigns and resources for mental health-related information and guidance.
Mind is a great way to find out how to cope with mental health issues. Mind Link
Mind is a UK-based mental health charity that provides information, advice, and support to those experiencing mental health problems.
A infographic which shows a cycle on the effects of stress and poor mental health
This infographic was made by Mind.
Find out more about Mind at: mind.org.uk
This article contains public sector information from the NHS website licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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