Stress Management

Is Stress taking over your life?

Do you wake up feeling tense?

Does life seem to control you?

Does life seem to be a constant series of problems?

No time for family and friends?

No time for yourself?

Short tempered?

Has your “get-up-and-go” got up and gone?

Do you feel that you are simply existing rather than living?

Stress – Tell me about it

It sometimes seems we are almost proud of being stressed!

The reality, however, is that stress can dramatically affect our lives and those of our families both now and into the future. Our future health can depend on our ability to recognise and manage stress properly now.

Fifty percent of all absenteeism from work due to ill health is stress related (Health & Safety Executive).

UNUM (a long-term disability insurer) reported a 90% increase in mental and psychological claims over a five-year period. Of these claimants one in five suffered such severe anxiety and depression that they were unable to work for at least six months.

Office of National Statistics states one in seven adults in Britain has some sort of diagnosable mental health problem, the most common being anxiety and depression (often stress related)

Other outcomes can include

Heart attacks
Heart disease
Circulatory disease
Stroke
Diabetes
Some cancers
Ulcers
Increased incidence of colds and influenza
A break down of the immune system
Back problems
Fatigue
Loss of sex drive and/or sexual ability
Loss of motivation
Increased addiction to simple stimulants such as coffee or chocolate or more serious such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling etc.

For the lucky ones the symptoms will only last for a short time, for others it will become an on-going spiral of events resulting in the need to change jobs or take early retirement, or in the breakdown of family relationships, or in early death.

Test yourself

How often have you experienced each of the following symptoms in the past year?

Scoring:
0=Never/Rarely
1=Occasionally
2=Frequently,
3=Persistently

Behavioural symptoms

Find making decisions difficult
Poor concentration
Move to a new task before finishing another
Persistent irritability
Suppressed anger
Feeling other people are hostile to you
Feeling unable to cope
Loss of sense of humour
Unable to motivate yourself to do things around the house
Wanting to cry without real cause
Constant tiredness even after an early night

Physical Symptoms

Loss of appetite
Food cravings when under pressure
Regular indigestion and/or heartburn
Constipation or diarrhoea
Unable to get to sleep
Waking early and unable to return to sleep
Nail biting/picking, nervous twitches etc
Headaches
Cramps/muscle spasms
Nausea
Breathlessness without excessive exertion
Impotency or frigidity
Eczema

Scores

N.B. These results only provide a rough indication; it is possible to express your stress levels through either physical or behavioural symptoms, although it is more common to express it through a mixture of both.

If the results indicate a problem, you need to do something about it. It is very easy for stress to build up almost unnoticed, the sooner you take action the less potential damage it will cause to your health and quality of life.

Imagine what it would be like to: -

Wake up, feeling rested, relaxed and looking forward to the day ahead.

Take control of your life.

Enjoy the companionship of family and friends.

Make time to do the things that you want to do.

Feel confident about your future.

Relish the challenges of life.

Enjoy the live you want to live.

You can……Take the first step to changing your life now –

Book your personal stress management programme now:

Phone 0845 4568245

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