The Helpful Centre for Stress Management

Centre Director: Michael Knock. DPH, RPHH, MNCH (Acc)

info@helpful.org.uk

Stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the demands made on us and our perceived ability to cope with those demands.

(80% of coping and surviving is being able to recognise stress, its causes and effects.)

Effects.
Once you are aware of the cause of your stress, you need to be aware of the effects. A certain level of stress can be beneficial but too much, can be harmful.
It can affect the way you FEEL, resulting in anxiety, aggression, tiredness, irritability. It can affect your confidence, it can make you nervous, depressed and bored with life.
At work, it can affect your concentration, your memory, your reactions and your ability to organise your work leading to increased errors.
Worse still, it can have major physical effects, such as sleep disturbances, dizziness, pains in the neck, shoulders & back, high blood pressure & heart disorders, breathing problems, asthma, panic attacks, digestive problems, bowel problems & sexual problems.
It can also severely affect your behaviour and the way you interact with others.

Why has the problem of stress become a major issue of our time?

Can it really be that life conditions in our society are more stressful, more taxing, than those experienced by our ancestors? From a material standpoint the answer must be NO.
The conditions in contemporary society are less stressful than those that have been experienced by any previous generation. But our age has its own problems, many of them psychological and social in nature. We do not need to be starved or cold or physically exhausted for stress to occur.

Life in technologically advanced societies impose new demands which trigger the same bodily responses that helped our ancestors to survive by making them ready for fight or flight. Responses that may be totally inappropriate for coping with the stresses of life today. Since feelings and perceptions are reflected in the activity of many of the body's organ systems, individuals can themselves be regarded as Stress-ometers.

HOW TO COPE. 10 Steps to Coping

1. Make A List!
Once you have admitted to yourself that you are suffering from stress and you are aware of its causes and the effects it is having on you, Make a List!

Identify the demands made on you and decide if these are demands you are making yourself or demands made by others. Try to decide, which demands produce the most stress & how you are reacting to them.

There are two ways to cope, POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY.

3 ·Ask for Help. 
See your G.P. or find a professional therapist who will be able to teach you some proven techniques for dealing with stress. A contact number is available on this site.

Contact Number

4 ·Talk

to someone close about your problems. (A problem shared is a problem halved!)

5 ·Learn to Relax. 
There are many books & tapes available to help you. Meditation, Yoga, Massage, all help. (see simple relaxation exercise on self-hypnosis page or purchase the CD)

6 ·Take Regular Exercise. 
30 minutes moderate exercise 5 times per week is the minimum you should consider. For example a 30 minute brisk walk every day. If for reasons of health or disability you cannot achieve this then take professional advice on the type of exercise appropriate to you. Join a health club, sports club, or visit your local leisure centre. Swimming is excellent exercise and so is walking, it helps your whole body to relax.

7 ·Eat Sensibly. 
We are what we eat. Regular well balanced meals without too much sugar & fat will help to keep you fit & healthy. Eat more fresh fruit & vegetables. Drink less tea & coffee and more water.

8 ·Love Yourself. 
Be kind to yourself. Don't try to do too much. Take things one at a time. Take a positive interest in yourself and explore how you can change behaviours you're not happy with.

9 ·Smoking.
Contrary to popular belief, smoking does NOT reduce stress, it increases it! If you smoke, you have an increased heart rate and you are reducing the level of oxygen in your blood. Smoking only relieves the discomfort caused by smoking. (See Smoking Page)

10 ·Drink.
Don't drink too much. Although the sensible use of alcohol may be beneficial, you cannot drink your way out of stress. Men should not drink more than 2 - 3 units of alcohol per day and women 1 - 2 units.

Stress is a natural & unavoidable fact of life. We can cope with it by changing the way we perceive it and the mental image we have of ourselves. Start by smiling to yourself in the mirror. Try a huge genuine grin when you meet others. Even if you don't feel like it, just the act of smiling will have a positive and beneficial effect on your health, and you will feel better.

Stimulus underload & overload are typical features of modern society and both of them trigger the adrenal medullary and adrenal cortical response.
In order to function adequately, humans require an inflow of impulses from the external environment. But lack or excess threaten the status of the body's systems.

Low levels of input result in boredom and mental impoverishment with a loss of initiative and loss of capacity for involvement. Over-arousal impairs responses and lead to a fragmentation of thought processes and impaired judgement.

© Copyright 1996 Michael Knock