Stress and Anxiety

With all that is going on in the world, it’s no wonder that we are experiencing a stress epidemic. Two kinds of stresses are at work on all of us every day – chronic and acute. Chronic is long-term, unrelenting, and seemingly inescapable; it wears down your body, mind and spirit. Acute stresses – life’s traumatic events – can also send your stress levels rocketing.

Stress can impair your immune system, making it hard for the body to fight off infections. Your reaction to stress is multifaceted and is shaped by your psychology, physiology, genetic makeup and environment. Warning signs of high stress include: nervousness or anxiety, sadness, anger, fatigue, sleep disorders, lack of motivation, headaches, muscle tension, upset stomach and appetite changes, faintness, tightness in the chest, reduced sexual drive, skin problems, aches and pains, menstrual irregularity, and hair loss.

When a person is able to understand the relationship between stress and emotions, they are better able to find methods to stop a stress response before it happens. Your emotions can set off a powerful physical response that disrupts the balance of many systems in your body. The brain is the central organ of stress. And your first step to reducing your stress is learning to recognise how your interpretation of a situation and your reactions to it can contribute to your level of stress.

The stress management protocol includes a holistic approach to the individual and their lifestyle helping them to: pinpoint sources of stress; identify the impact of stress; and confidently develop and adopt more effective coping strategies covering aspects such as restorative sleep, nutrition, relaxation, assertiveness, and time management.