Stress

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Stress can be both positive and negative; as a positive influence, stress can motivate individuals into action and increase productivity levels, however as a negative influence, stress can have the opposite effect and actually lead to adverse physical symptoms. Each individual will have different stress thresholds, and what is stressful to one person may be exciting to another, and vice versa.

Stress is caused by the body’s natural reaction to protect itself, so in an emergency stress will force us to exert maximum effort to defend ourselves. However if no emergency happens, all the extra energy has nowhere to go and negative stress can lead to anxiety, anger and depression, as well as headaches, high blood pressure and insomnia. Stress can occur in different areas of our lives, such as work or our personal lives. Stress is recognised to be one of the main causes of absence from work, and research suggests about half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress that they believe is making them ill. Changes in personal lives such as the birth of a child, a relationship or the death of a loved one can cause stress as individuals adjusts to changes. Negative stress occurs when an individual feels they are unable to cope with the level of stress facing them.

If you are stressed you may have emotional, physical and mental symptoms including:

Emotional:

Physical:

Mental

Managing stress is therefore important, and although stress can not be eliminated completely (as it’s a natural response), it can often be effectively managed. Some quick tips for managing stress are:

How can life coaching help manage stress?

A life coach can help an individual to understand why they’re feeling the way they are and understand how thoughts can be modified to help manage stress. Exploring an individual’s personal stress levels can also help them to identify their own stress threshold, and identify when they are experiencing negative stress.

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This content is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the advice given by any professional.