Why do I have stress?
Anything that creates a strain on our resources has the potential to create a stressful situation for us. This can be emotional, physical, financial or other kind of strain. Stress generally comes from places like work, social, or personal life. But it can also come through other areas that influence the quality of our life like political or cultural environments.
Generally, stress is thought to be caused by stormy relationships, crippling work schedule, financial pressures or health problems, but it is not necessarily limited to that.
Any kind of change in our circumstances in particular will trigger stress and anxiety in us. This can be events such as bereavement, marriage, divorce, moving house, moving jobs, etc. They can be stressful in their own right but can also act as triggers for other things.
Is stress bad for you?
Having stress is not a bad thing by itself. Some level of stress is normal in life. It can help motivate us to do well or to help us manage ourselves better.
Training for a marathon for example is stressful. But perhaps not so for someone who likes running and fitness training. Getting a new job may be stressful but on the other hand it might bring better job prospects in the future and an increase in salary. It is also possible that you may be in a job that you don't like or in a relationship that is not working. This would be bad stress as it would negatively impact the quality of your life.
When the stress is good for you or it is at a manageable level you will be functioning well in your life. In work or at home. When things are not working you might experience one or more of these things:
- feeling anxious or frustrated
- unable to sleep
- lowered self-esteem
- feeling overwhelmed
- physical problems like sweating, palpitations, stomach problems, etc.
- increased alcohol or drug consumption
What can I do about my stress?
Recognising stress and addressing it early is always a good start.
Self-help: There are well known stress relief techniques like exercise, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, gardening, etc. At the heart of it, they will all help you relax and create time for you. When you have tried them or find that your overwhelming thoughts stop you from trying them then perhaps it is time to talk to someone about it.
Seeking help: When your thoughts dominate your life or you start developing unhealthy coping mechanisms. Or if your physical health is beginning to suffer. It is time to seek help.
How I can help you with managing stress
I can help you understand your stress triggers and deal with your stress in a more productive manner. In the initial phase, we will be working with coping strategies and developing skills that allow you to function better on a day to day basis. We will then look at some of the underlying reasons for the stress. On how you processing your thoughts and feelings so that we can understand them. Different people respond to different styles of working. Depending on your preferred style, we can work on your stresses in a cognitive way or by addressing some of the deeper issues.