DEALING WITH STRESS Louise Frith

What keeps you calm?

How do you know you're ok?: 1. Develop emotionally and creatively, intellectually and spiritually 2. Believe in your own worth, and the dignity and worth of others 3. Develop & sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships 4. Are aware of others and empathise with them 5. Use and enjoy solitude 6. Express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions 7. Are able to think about and take risks 8. Are able to cope with and manage change and uncertainty 9. Are capable of recovering from shock and trauma 10. Laugh, both at themselves and at the world (WHO, 2012)

Indicators of stress Low mood Loss of interest and enjoyment Disturbed sleep Decreased or increased appetite Loss of energy Poor concentration Feelings of guilt or self reproach Loss of confidence Psychomotor slowing (the person’s thoughts and activities slow down) Avoiding others and social situations Self neglect Using more alcohol tobacco or other drugs than usual Crying a lot, feelings of despair Difficulty remembering things or making decisions Being preoccupied by negative thoughts, Physical aches and pains with no physical cause Being unusually irritable or impatient Not wanting to have sex or other intimate relations Feeling helpless and hopeless about the future

Meditation and mindfulness Meditation and mindfulness can help to de-stress They promote being in the present and being kind to yourself There’s an emphasis on taking time out from the hectic pace of life Meditation and mindfulness may feel strange at first, but repetition helps create a habit

What else can you do Make sure that you create time to do things that you enjoy Connect with others Eat well and sleep well Take physical exercise Give time to other things (volunteering, community group, friends)