STRESS – should we allow it to control our life?
Stress is all around us – whatever we do, wherever we go it is there; in adults as well as in children. Should we see it as a challenge or obstacle. I had always seen it as an obstacle; in the workplace, at home, everywhere….. until I decided to to change the way I perceived things a few years ago. Now I see stress as “pressure”.
Employees suffering from stress and stress related illnesses including behavioural problems is on its way up and organisations are experiencing millions lost working days each year. The Health and Safety Eecutive (HSE) in the UK estimates the costs to society of work related stress to be around £4 billion each year, while 13.5 million working days were lost to stress in 2007 / 08. By taking action to reduce the problem, you can help create a more productive, healthy workforce and at the same time save money.
Research shows that a moderate amount of pressure is important as it allows us to face challenges and do the best we can. Stress is a very individual experience, as different people cope with situations differently. Eliminating stress completely from you life is impossible therefore learning to manage it on a daily basis can enhance the quality of your life.
Other areas that may / may not cause stress that we need to think about include life events such as death, abuse, bullying etc…
Children are also very likely to experience stress although most parents don’t necessarily see it as it is not always obvious. Areas / situations that children may find difficult to cope with include: bullying, pressure at school, family disputes etc. They normally express their stress through unexplainable tantrums, crying for no reason, complaining of stomach aches, becoming panicky / fearful, the list goes on. Just like an adult’s health, there is a good chance that the child’s physical, emotional and mental well being will also be affected for example asthma, gastrointestinal illnesses and migraines / severe headaches, depression / being unable to cope with lifestyle changes as they get older.
Until you decide you don’t want to experience high levels of stress, it will affect you mentally, emotionally and physically for example being unproductive and creating permanent ill health. However once you do decide, you will come across opportunities to achieve your goal.
There are various ways to dealing with stress for adults as well as children – the following may help:
Here are a few tips for the adults:
- Accept the things that you cannot change and know your limits – no one is perfect.
- Break down tasks into smaller ones or do one task at a time.
- Always consider asking for help and never refuse it if offered. Building a support system at work and home helps.
- Practice relaxation techniques for example yoga, meditation, breathing.
- Be around people who are positive and supportive.
- Have regular activities to do outside of work for example sports, dancing, socialising with friends or even a lot of laughing and hugging.
- Make sure you take the full holiday entitlement your employer offers.
- Be organised and manage your time effectively whether at home or at work.
- Be aware when you are about to get extremely stressed and then work on managing it using the various techniques outlined above or others that may be shown to you.
A few tips for the parents in dealing with stress in children (amongst others):
- Ensure that your child has play time with other children (in order to build friendships)as well as time to relax and do their own thing.
- Encourage your child to do their best rather than force them to go beyond their capabilities. That way you bring out the best in your child.
- Children are very sensitive to their parents’emotions therefore don’t argue in front of them and be aware of what you say when you are around them.
- Be open with them, be willing to listen to them and help them with their problems.
We offer yoga, meditation and healing; 3 of many ways available for bringing the mind, body and soul into balance and strengthening your core self. This applies to adults as well as children.
Whether you are an organisation or an individual, we can help.
http://www.mindbodysoulsanctuary.com/
medini@mindbodysoulsanctuary.com
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