It's Stress Awareness Day - spot your signs of stress

THE first Wednesday in November is National Stress Awareness Day.

It’s an opportunity to think about the effects of stress, physically and mentally, as well as how we can manage feelings of stress.

If you read my column regularly you may remember I have talked about the metaphorical ‘stress bucket’ and our ‘stress signatures’ on previous occasions. So, over the next two weeks, we’re going to look at them a little more, and see what you can do about it.

Stress is an inevitable part of life. It's a natural response to pressure or demand, and in small doses, it can even be motivating. However, when stress becomes chronic and overwhelming, it can have a significant impact on our mental and physical health.

In therapy we talk about each of us having a ‘stress bucket’. The size of the bucket dictates the amount of stress we can carry, while remaining mentally healthy. We say the size of the bucket is dictated by our early life events. The bigger the bucket, the more stress we can carry without our mental health being affected. Various events throughout our day can add to the bucket on a regular basis. We also carry longer term stress in the bucket too. Some stressors might be small, like a minor traffic jam or a difficult work task. Others might be larger, such as a significant life change or a health issue. Over time, this stress accumulates. If the bucket becomes too full, it can overflow, leading to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, or even burnout.

Each of us can react differently to the same stressor. For example, if two people accidentally back their cars into each other whilst trying to reverse into a parking space, where neither is at fault. Each driver may react very differently. One may simply be very stoic and immediately pass on their insurance details, and then go about their day. Whereas, the other driver may explode with rage and start ranting and raving, possibly even becoming verbally or physically aggressive.

As our stress builds up, there are signs we may give off, which are a clue to those around us, this is called our stress signature. When we take the time to do a little self-reflection, we can become familiar with these signs, this can be really helpful.

Have a think to yourself now, and write down a few of the things that may be in your stress bucket, such as work, home, college, friendships, relationships etc. Next week, I’ll give you some helpful suggestions to deal with them.

Martin Furber is a therapist. Contact: wellbeing@martinfurber.com

If you feel you are in a mental health crisis contact your GP, go to A&E, call NHS 111, the Samaritans on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258.