The first Wednesday of November has been dubbed “National Stress Awareness Day” with an aim to get you to think about what causes you stress, how you can learn to cope with it and how to look after your general well-being and mental state when life gets a bit difficult.
Being stressed is a normal part of life, it happens to all of us from time to time and it’s to be expected. We all encounter short periods of stress; these normally go away once we have tackled the cause e.g. hitting a work deadline, having a chat with a friend. But sometimes these feelings can linger for weeks, sometimes these feelings can affect our day-to-day activities and this is when we need to seek help.
Kidderminster College has an excellent support system, we have our friendly, experienced counsellor who will help to support you through any difficult times you may encounter at the college.
Make sure that you take some time to think through the situation that is causing you stress. What about it is bugging you the most? What is the real problem? Identifying the problem is an important step to being able to create a solution and reduce your stress levels.
This may be a bit of a no-brainer, but have a think about what solutions are out there? Consider the options and what it might take to overcome what is causing you to feel stressed. Bear in mind that the best solution might take a bit of time, it might be a little difficult, but it’s still a solution. Solving the problem is always the best coping mechanism.
This is a key skill and will help with an awful lot of aspects in your life. Learning how to schedule assignments and other daily responsibilities will help you be productive and keep you from feeling overwhelmed. Write a list and tick off each task as you go or assign an allotted time to the task during the day. Seeing everything organised down on paper or in your phone will help you stay organised and in control.
You’ve heard this all before, but you’ve heard it all before because it helps. Maintaining a relatively healthy diet, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep and a bit of exercise does wonders for your state of mind.
Taking a bit of time for yourself to just switch off can help you reboot and recharge:
Long term stress and anxiety are difficult to sort out on your own, sometimes asking for help is the best option. Friends and family can provide a great support network, a sounding board and sometimes be able to offer an obvious solution you may not have thought about.
The underlying point here is that you don’t have to struggle through stress alone. Talk to a friend, a relative or a tutor, look on the internet for advice or download one of the many mindfulness apps out there.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed about anything, make sure you get support.
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