MedClick

Yes, many of us are stressed - whether we are major investors in the stock market, city high fliers or simply regular people who work to pay our bills we all suffer from stress. Our team has put together some strategies for managing these negative feelings and some ideas for overcoming them.

First of all what is stress? It is an intrinsic part of our human disposition that on occasions we require an external source of pressure as an inducement to perform better at something or to strive towards a certain goal. This is productive pressure and without it society would very much come to a halt. The problem, of course, arises when stress becomes distress. In other words, when the source of the stress becomes unrelenting and we feel that we cannot cope, instead of feeling motivated, we are more likely to feel suffocated by the continuous pressure and the results can be very harmful.

When this happens, tempers become frayed. We may find ourselves snapping at those we love; our parents, spouse, children, fellow workers or even perfect strangers who annoy us. We may find it difficult to fall asleep, we cannot perform at work as well as we should and we may even resort to alcohol (or food, or nicotine or any other substance we find effective), in an attempt to deaden the pain of the day.

It is important at this stage that we admit to ourselves what is happening. You may not recognise it yourself; a friend or family member may remark on your change of demeanour or your 'short fuse'. This should serve as a wake-up call to encourage you to do something about it.

First of all, it is vital to identify your particular stressors at the present moment in time. If it helps, write them all down on a list. This will help you to see the extent of your worries. It has been said that a great deal more energy is always put into worrying about things than actually doing something about it - and a lot of the energy expended is wasted, as the thing being worried about never actually materialises. However, it is human nature to worry so we do need to be able to channel our worry from being a negative emotion into a positive and productive one.

Exercise

One of the easiest ways to reduce your cortisol levels (the substance released into the body in response to stress), is to enjoy a hearty burst of exercise. But don't just focus on the effort; get outside and focus on the change of scenery. Walk briskly through a wood, cycle through a park. Find a way of releasing your pressure.

Practice heavy breathing

It is possible to trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly whilst you count to seven, and then breathe out counting to eleven. Repeat this exercise until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and you start to feel more relaxed.

Use lavender

Lavender oil in the bath, used as an inhalation in hot water or on the pillow; all methods have been used for generations and has been shown to calm and aid sleep.

 Learn from the best

We all know people who can keep calm when everyone around you is losing their control. Identify what it is they are doing differently, what language they use, what is their experience and training? You can watch and learn, or simply ask them what it is they do that helps.

These tips will help. However, if you genuinely feel your stressors are insurmountable, speak to our medical team or your GP to receive help and support so that you can continue, without all of the unpleasant effects stress can cause.