April is Stress Awareness Month, as it has been for 25+ years. So what better time than now to talk about the beast that is stress.
Too much stress and pressure can lead to blunting
What is Stress?
Stress can be defined as the experience of feeling overwhelmed or burdened. It causes us to feel off-balance, either physically or mentally – which can have a knock-on effect emotionally. We might perceive it as an external force being applied on us or to us; however, since stress is our personal response to external factors, it could better be described as an internal force
One of the issues with stress is that it’s subjective, with our respective experiences contributing towards its manifestation. This makes it harder to diagnose, with new and unfamiliar symptoms open to misinterpretation. It can also be harder to treat as some methods or solutions work better for certain individuals rather than others.
We live such fast-paced lives, with elements so finely intertwined, making it hard to identify and remove ourselves from the cause of the pressure. There may not be a single cause but a slow piling on of layers over time, creating an ever-heavier burden for us to carry. We might only realise when, as the saying goes, the final straw breaks the camel’s back
There are simple exercises and techniques that can help to shift the balance in our favour, such as a change of perception or perspective (sometimes known as ‘reframing’). Check out these to quieten mind chatter.
If you have any questions or comments, especially in terms of any content that you would like to see, please let me know.
And if you feel that would like some assistance to combat the stress in your life, get in touch.