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National Stress Awareness Day 2022

National Stress Awareness Day 2022 – 2nd November

Stress. It affects us so much more than we realise. From our personal relationships to our jobs, our bodies and our minds. In this blog, we are going to look at work-based stress, how to identify it, how to voice it and some resources to help manage it.

Stress is the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. While it can help us stay focused and achieve things at work and in our personal lives, too much stress can have very negative side-effects and lead to burnouts and longer-term mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Statistics

Stress statistics from Champion Health:

  • The most common cause of stress is work-related stress with 79% saying they frequently felt it (Statistica)
  • One in 14 UK adults feel stressed every single day (CIPHR)
  • 74% of people feel so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
  • Inpatient hospital admissions caused by stress-related illnesses in the UK cost around £8.13bn (Statistica)
  • 46% say that they eat too much or too unhealthily due to stress (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
  • 29% say that due to stress they started drinking or increased their drinking (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
  • 16% say that they started smoking or increased their smoking due to stress (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
  • 51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling depressed and 61% reported feeling anxious (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
  • 37% of adults who reported feeling stressed also felt lonely as a result (Mental Health Foundation and YouGov)
  • 7 million working days are lost each year in the UK because of work-related stress, anxiety and depression, costing £28.3 billion yearly (NICE)
  • 33% of employees report moderate-to-high or high levels of stress
  • 28% report that high levels of stress impact productivity
  • The top cause of work-related stress is workload (78%)
  • 56% agree that the perfect amount of stress enables them to thrive

A common piece of advice when stressed in to plan ahead, but often the things that lead to stress are the things we have little or no control over. From being pulled in too many directions at work to uncertainties around rising costs both at work and at home to trying to juggle work and family life, there are just so many factors that it feels impossible to be able to plan enough because there is always something else waiting around the corner.

How to identify stress

Stress can present differently in different people so it’s difficult to say for certain how it will present, but we do know about some common warning signs that the stress is becoming too much.

Socially withdrawn

People tend to withdraw to protect themselves from other pressures or situations which could lead to extra pressure. Taking time for yourself is very important to helping battle the signs of stress, but you need to strike the right balance to avoid growing feelings of isolation and anxiety.

Sleeping and feeling tired

Because stress activated your fight or flight response, you body may struggle to produce melatonin (the sleep hormone). It also becomes a vicious cycle because when you can’t sleep you begin to worry about not sleeping which increases stress.

Excessive or increased use of personal vices

In times of stress we often turn to things that help us relax such as alcohol. While some have suggested that alcohol can hide some of the symptoms of stress (i.e., feeling more relaxed, boosting your mood, and providing a distraction) over time we can become intolerant to the ‘de-stressing effects’.

Loss of interest and excitement

Losing interest in things that once brought you joy can be a sign of stress as well as a sign of other conditions. Often this is a result of lack of sleep and a general feeling of being overwhelmed.

Anxiety or depression

Stress is often caused by short-term issues or pressures, but excessive stress can lead to longer term issues such as anxiety or depression.

Irritability

Trouble managing your emotions or becoming overwhelmed often are a sign of stress.

Physical symptoms

These can include panic attacks, muscle aches, headaches, stomach/digestive problems to name a few. Often the more stress you are feeling the worse the physical symptoms appear.

How to deal with stress

From the NHS website, its recommended that you:

In the workplace, it’s important to try and understand what is causing you stress specifically, is it a work-based stress or an external factor? What control do you have over this?

Speak to your line manager or mental health first aider if you have one. Work with them to devise a plan to help you cope with your stress and regular check-ins. If you don’t feel this is possible, turn to a co-worker or close friend who you feel comfortable speaking with.