Safety Week 2021: Mental Health Awareness
Ways to Manage Stress & How Your Stress Levels Affect You And Those Around You
The Walsh Group has partnered with Maritza Puello, wellness coach and certified mindfulness teacher, to discuss mental health awareness and share helpful steps along the way. In the video above, Maritza discusses ways to manage stress and how your stress levels affect you and others.
As your stress levels rise, your body has to work harder to meet the added demands of energy. Think of your body as a car. The faster you drive the more fuel you use. The same is true of stress. The more stress you are under, the more fuel your body has to burn.
Long periods of stress not only affect you physically and can show up as an illness but they can also take a mental and emotional toll on your well-being.
With so many things to get done and obligations to take care, you may not even realize how chronic stress is affecting you and the way you interact with others. When you’re running on empty you have nothing left to give to yourself or those around you.
Here are some ways stress overload maybe affecting you
- You find yourself withdrawing or isolating from others. You spend more time alone and don’t want to be around family or friends.
- You are experiencing anxiety or depression. You might find it hard to relax.
- Your energy levels are low or you constantly feel fatigued.
- You may find you are getting sick more frequently, a sign your immune system might be compromised.
- Your eating habits are changing because your digestive system is off. You’ve gained or lost a large amount of weight.
- You’ve recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
- You are drinking more alcohol, smoking more, or using drugs more frequently.
- You are acting on impulse or showing poor judgement. You’re not thinking things through or weighing the consequences.
- You’ve become careless with your work. You aren’t keeping your commitments to yourself or others.
There are steps to take to help you manage your stress, especially during times of prolonged events.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
- Be patient with yourself and others. Accept there are things you can control and things you can’t. Learn to distinguish between them.
- Try to keep a positive outlook by focusing on the good things that are happening to you or around you.
- Don’t play the blame game. Remember being kind to yourself and others can help to strengthen your relationship.
- Learn to say no to anything that feels like a drain on your time or energy or that will add excessive stress to your life.
- Socialize. Spending time with people you enjoy can help uplift your mood.
- If you feel overwhelmed or are having difficulties with your daily tasks, seek professional help from a doctor or mental health professional.