How Stressed Are You?

How STRESSED are you? Stress, as difficult as it might be to accept, is an important part of our lives. It can bring out the best in us, motivating us towards ever greater heights of personal achievement. But too much stress, or feeling unable to cope with it, can take a serious toll on our wellbeing. Follow the flowchart below to find out if you might be suffering from serious stress. HOW DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT? Good - woke up I haven't slept in weeks feeling refreshed and Not great - still felt tired when I woke up renewed VIV HOW'S YOUR MOOD GENERALLY? IS SOMETHING WEIGHING ON YOUR MIND? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO DOZE OFF? A 100 and 1 things Not that I know of Not a day goes by THOUGHTS THOUGHTS As soon as my without becoming head met the irrationally angry It's nothing really. pillow Don't worry about it I have my moments, but A while, with a lot of generally OK tossing and turning ? HOW'S YOUR SOCIAL LIFE? WOULD YOU SAY YOUR DRINKING HABITS ARE NORMAL? HOW'S YOUR APPETITE? I have been drinking More or less - Yes, I don't overdo a lot more than I sometimes it and stick within usual of late safe limits drink to relax or before bed Basically non-existent, I regularly forget to eat or am simply Not great, I Good, I eat sometimes feel regular I struggle to form relationships very isolated not hungry nutritious meals Good, I'm very active in Erratic - sometimes I skip meeting people meals or binge eat I fall to bits and panic or get visibly worked up ARE YOU ABLE TO SHARE YOUR FEELINGS? DO YOU FEEL WELL IN YOURSELF? A BIG DEADLINE IS LOOMING. HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT? DEADLINE YES, I have a strong support I feel strong and network of friends and family good in health I try, but I'm afraid that Some days are better than others no one will care A lot of nail-biting and I honestly feel awful and always on edge NO, I just end up procrastination, but it snapping at people gets there It's fine, I can prioritise and work through it VERY STRESSED A LITTLE STRESSED STRESSED CALM You're feeling tremendously stressed, and it might be It sounds as though you're At face value you're quite Whatever you're doing, keep doing it – though you might feel pressure upon you feeling stressed out by one calm and level headed, having a detrimental effect on almost every aspect of issue or another. but when stress starts to build you often find yourself struggling or from time to time, it seems your interpersonal relationships. as though you're able to The first step is to talk to procrastinating. cope with the stress. someone about your problems, whether that's friends or family, and not being ashamed or Pay attention to how you Seeking specialist help, such as psychotherapy or CBT, will help identify and hopefully resolve the source of the problem. However, it never hurts to speak to yourself when make de-stressing an active part of your daily routine, e.g. mindfulnes or stressed, and think embarrassed about positively – say "I will", feeling overwhelmed. rather than "I can't". meditation sessions. As the noted psychoanalyst Adam Phillips put it, as much as worry and stress can annoy us, they can also work for us; 'No stage fright, no performance.' What's important is that stress remains at a manageable level – where it can incentivise us to perform, but not burn us out in the process. SOURCES BBC. (2013). How stressed are you? bbc.co.uk Lovibond, P. F, & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33. Phillips, A. (1996). What, Me Not Worry? nytimes.com Stress Management Society. (2015). How vulnerable are you to stress? stress.org.uk O O O This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License - www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 POUNDPLACE Start Saving Today BY SA ........ -------.