How to recognise stress and help yourself cope with it

Stress appears to be a factor of modern day life - almost taken for granted in our battle to combine the ever increasing demands of family life with pressured careers and expanding expectations for social activities.  We strive to keep going and generally thrive on life's pressure but then occasionally something, or a series of minor or major challenges, can make us feel irritable, anxious, have difficulty sleeping, find it hard to concentrate or be motivated, and feel low or depressed and unable to cope.

It may help to:

• Try and recognise and admit the stress
• Pace yourself - relax and rest frequently
• Give yourself permission to have some personal 'space' - to unwind, switch off in whatever way suits you
• Pamper yourself - give yourself a treat
• Try and prioritise the pressures in your life and tackle one at a time
• Take time out from whatever feels stressful - if it is work, avoid contact with colleagues/employer and allow yourself time to recover
• Say NO to anything that does not feel right for you
• Acknowledge how you actually feel, rather than how others assume you feel; writing in a journal can be an outlet for your feelings
• Try and be honest with your close family and friends about how you feel and what you need
• Search out people who you feel can offer appropriate support eg. partner/relative/friend/GP/counsellor - try and share your feelings rather than bottling them up