Stress awareness month

April is stress awareness month, its aim is to remind us of the importance of taking time to pause and understand what the purpose of stress is, our triggers, how it affects us physically and mentally, and the impact it has in our day-to-day lives. 

It began in April 1992 in response to the rising crisis that stress has caused in our society. It is designed to open up conversations about stress in our lives and remove some of the stigmas around talking about stress.

This Year

The month also allows us to look at the methods that can be applied to help us deal with stress and become more resilient. Furthermore, it asks us to take a holistic approach to stress looking at not only our minds but the health of our bodies also.

The 30 Day Challenge

This year Stress.org.uk is challenging people to pick one action each for their Physical, Mental and Emotional Well-being to carry out every day. This is based on the idea that it takes 30 days to create a new habit. For instance, Why not try taking the stairs instead of the lift, eat one extra vegetable with Dinner or make a little time each day to meditate. Check out their website for more ideas.

University Resources

Look out for various activities and events that may be happening in your workplace or online. You can visit your staff Internet’s Health & Wellbeing page to see what services are available.

For students, visit your University’s Wellbeing page, and see what they offer. This may include signposting you to other organizations.

Additionally, Students at Edinburgh Napier University can access the Student Wellbeing, Support and Inclusion page using the following link: Wellbeing Support and Inclusion

Or perhaps you would like to look at the various resources our library offers, by visiting the Libguide’s Wellbeing Collection page.

Why not check out our Virtual Relaxation Space for a wide range of activities to relax with.

Above all, The most important thing to take away is, you are not alone and there is help available.

Information related to stress can also be found on the NHS website and there is support available from many sources through the University Webpages.

Sharing ideas:

What do you do to relieve stress, let us know in the comments? 

How to reduce stress:

Meditation

Breathing Exercises

Go for walks in nature

Spend time with loved ones

Exercise

Playing games

By Mo Almas