What makes you stressed?

Take the stress test

Take this test from the Stress Management Society and find out how stressed you are.

Most of us get stressed sometimes, but what happens when we start feeling stressed every day? We feel stressed when we think that the demands we face are more than we can cope with.

What makes you stressed? We all know that our daily commute, problems at work, family life and our relationships can cause stress.

You might not realise what makes you stressed

Sometimes we feel stressed but we can’t pinpoint why. Underlying reasons could be:

• Uncertainty – not knowing what is going to happen, or even what we want to happen, can cause us stress. Do you find yourself worrying about your future?
• Being too busy – often we try to do too much and fit too many things into our lives. When was the last time you took a day off?
• Feeling like a failure – everyone has expectations and sometimes we don’t reach them. Expecting too much from ourselves can pile on the pressure.

Over time things we try to keep in the back of our minds can grow and become overwhelming. Before you reach for the stress ball, consider finding out more about where stress comes from and what you can do about it. Knowledge is power. National Stress Awareness Month is an opportunity to re-evaluate your life and think about what is making you stressed.

By not worrying about things we can’t change, making more time to just relax and not expecting too much from ourselves, we can reduce our daily stress levels.

Who else is stressed?

Not everyone handles stress in the same way. Signs a friend or relative might be feeling stress include:

• Eating less
• Neglecting responsibilities
• Use of alcohol or drugs
• Finding it hard to switch off
• Not sleeping

Suggest de-stressing at home and help others get back to feeling their best.