Since 1992, April has been Stress Awareness Month in the UK.
This year, however, the conversation around stress and mental illnesses like anxiety and depression is even more important, as twelve months of uncertainty and isolation during a global pandemic has left more of us than ever feeling like we’re in danger of being overwhelmed.
Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time, and just like physical illnesses, it needs to be taken seriously – however it’s often difficult to see the signs of stress in yourself and in others at first glance. It’s a largely invisible condition, and as there’s a lot of pressure to always be switched on, many people just accept it as part of their lives. But stress is more complex than just feeling a little anxious about meeting your targets – it can feed into the development of many more serious health issues, such as heart problems, depression, digestive issues and is even thought to be related to a higher likelihood of developing cancer.
The Stress Management Society are the organisation at the heart of Stress Awareness Month, and they’re encouraging us to put our wellbeing first and get involved with their 30 day challenge Regaining Connectivity, Certainty and Control. It’s all about choosing actions that can have a positive impact on your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, and developing a habit over the course of the next month. It’s often the little things that can really make a difference, and something as simple as developing some positive routines and even just talking and sharing about how you’re feeling can actually do a lot of good.
You can find the challenge and the resources that you need to get involved on the Stress Awareness Month campaign page here.
There’s also a wealth of information and support available for people struggling with stress and mental health problems available at Mind.