Everyone experiences stress of some kind in varying levels of intensity during their lives. The important issue is how people are affected by stress and how they react or respond to the situation. Christmas can be an especially stressful time for some people.

What is stress?

Stress is the body’s way of dealing with pressure. It’s a human reaction to life’s demands. When we experience a high level of pressure due to situations occurring around us (life, work or social), it can trigger an increase in energy and alertness. In many cases this is a healthy human reaction as it helps us to cope and get through the event or situation in the best possible way. However, too much stress can affect our health, so it needs to be managed appropriately.

What causes stress?

There are many different causes of stress (stressors). Some stressors are external pressures from outside sources, such as the death of a relative or friend. Other stressors are said to be internal, based on how a person responds to life situations.

Responses to stress may be determined by personality, cultural background, social circumstances, support networks and the current situation. These responses may also vary depending on life stage and previous experiences. Everyone will react differently to stress in their lives.

What are the signs of stress?

Signs of stress are usually experienced as physical, mental, emotional or behavioural changes from what’s common for us. Some of these signs may include:

• Lack of motivation
• Moodiness, increased or erratic emotions
• Increased irritability or frustration
• Inability to sleep or too much sleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Headaches
• Anxiousness or feeling overwhelmed
• Not coping with demands and responsibilities
• Reliance on alcohol or other substances to cope
• Increased eating, drinking or nervous habits.

There are many life experiences and stressors that contribute to our stress responses and impact on our resilience and wellbeing. Some of these include:

• Interpersonal relationship problems
• Personal or family illness
• Conflict e.g. bullying, harassment
• Work pressures
• Traumatic events
• Financial problems – this can be especially relevant at Christmas
• Concerns about life direction
• Job loss
• Pressures from competing demands

Why is managing stress important?

Our lives are becoming more hectic than ever before. Life is full of change, which affects us as individuals, family members, friends, employees, and in community life and society generally.

Too much stress over an extended period of time can be harmful to physical and mental wellbeing and impact on your ability to function and live productively.

Monitoring our health and resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges and adversity, to cope with the ups and downs of life.

There are practical strategies available that can help you to learn how to manage and even reduce the level of stress in your life. These strategies will help anyone maintain a healthy life balance and build resilience.

Firstly, it is important to be aware of any stress building up, and to find out what may be the cause and whether the stressors are causing negative or positive reactions to occur. By acknowledging the stress, it is then possible to do something to take control and action before becoming overwhelmed. It is important to recognise the signals that things are not going so well. Ignoring these signals can put wellness and resilience at risk.

By learning to recognise what is natural stress and when something is unnatural, action can be taken to manage the changes needed. Learning how to respond appropriately will help to ‘stress down’, build personal resilience and improve health.

Tips for Managing Stress

Here are some practical tips for managing stress and maintaining your health and staying resilient:
1. Talk to someone you trust (partner, friend, colleague or helpline)
2. Have a health check up with your GP
3. Take up regular physical exercise
4. Try to eat a healthy, well balanced diet
5. Find time to do activities you enjoy

Places to go for help:

• Talk to a trusted family member or friend, or a health professional such as your GP or counsellor
• Lifeline’s 24 hour telephone counselling service on 13 11 14.
• Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
• Online resources.

For more information on what help is available, or on how you can help a mate, visit www.readthesigns.com.au.