…..I said to stress
It has been described as an epidemic and one that appears to be out of control. Isabella Goldie, director of the Mental Health Foundation thinktank, who recently commissioned an Extensive Mental Health study into the impact of stress in the UK said: “Millions of us around the UK are experiencing high levels of stress and it is damaging our health. Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time but it is not being taken as seriously as physical health concerns.”
It talked about the fact that women were the worse effected, 81% women to 67% of men and an overwhelming 74% of all adults reported that they were so overwhelmed and so stressed they were unable to cope with the simple things in life.
Young adults are the age group most vulnerable to stress, and this statistic is consistent across the world. Overall, 83% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they had been left overwhelmed or unable to cope. Above average numbers of young adults had felt suicidal (39%), or self-harmed (29%), because of stress.
“For many of us there are times when exposure to stressors becomes too frequent or too intense to deal with. If the stress response is activated repeatedly, or if it persists over time without recovery periods, the physiological effects result in cumulative wear and tear on the body,” the new report concludes.
The effects of long term stress can have devastating effects on the body. It can effect sleep, memory and see increases in the too much or relief behaviours such as alcohol, food, drugs, smoking etc Other problems may present such as IBS, blood pressure, ulcers, heart disease, diabetes etc. As stress increases the immune system stops functioning as efficiently and we are therefore much more susceptible to bugs and illnesses such as colds and flu. High levels of stress can also lead to anxiety, depression and other mental health problems.
feeling good
Of all the people who visit a Doctor/GP almost 80% will have stress as a component of their presenting illness. Although we are a little more aware of some of the things we can do to lower stress such as exercise, eating healthily, getting better sleep etc many continue to suffer in silence. Although it is important to have some stress in our lives to create resilience and creativity we need some tools and techniques to help manage excessive levels.
So let me ask you, if you had a tool that could very quickly and effectively reduce your stress levels in under 2 minutes, would you be interested, would you use it? Are you interested in the breaking up with your stress?
I have a simple method that works every time but there is a catch, you need to practice it.
A couple of times a day for say 30 second in the morning and before you go to bed at night is sufficient. Over time, through repetition and reinforcement, the subconscious mind will accept the suggestion and you will find your stress levels decreasing.
So when could you use it?
Any time you feel stressed
To practice find a place where you will not be disturbed. Shut off all devices. Listen with earphones. Sit somewhere comfortable where your back is supported. Click on the audio, close your eyes and follow the instructions.
Just sit for a moment at the end and then notice how much more relaxed and in control your feel.
You are experiencing being in the NOW, this is what the term mindfulness means. I did this by simply asking you to focus on two distinct things at the same time and notice how your mind just let go of all the clutter.
Infinity pool, calm and relaxed
The technique can be beneficial in helping you take back control as you integrate it into your lifestyle. Use this audio to practice a couple of time each day for a week or so and then practice it without the audio, imagining the audio playing.
Try it out the next time you start to feel stressed or anticipate a stressful situation about to happen. It will work with all age groups. You will be amazed at the results. Let me know how you go by leaving a comment below.