Stress hub
Welcome to our stress hub dedicated to helping you to banish those energy-sapping feelings
of day-to-day stress
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You'll find info about some of the most common reasons for stress and importantly hints & tips about how you
can look to improve how you feel day-to-day
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You'll also find our founder's story about his own
lived-experience of stress management
What is stress?
Put simply stress is feeling (understandably) overwhelmed physically & emotionally by what's going on in your life - too busy at work, forever run-off your feet with childcare, struggling with unexpected and unwanted problems in your life.
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Stress will pass as things improve - the key is trying to find ways to manage the symptoms in the meanwhile: tense muscles, lingering headaches, irritableness to name a few.
advice to help banish your stress
But, please remember
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Everyone is different. It's hard to generalise about these things as there are 101 reasons sitting behind why you and others experience stress
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If you feel that you are struggling to manage your feelings of stress by yourself, please don't suffer in silence. Help is available. Please seek the help of a suitably qualified medical practitioner
trueME founder's own story
of managing feelings of stress
Like many people, I lived silently for many years with increasing feelings of anxiety. But alongside anxiety, I also felt stressed. Sometimes its hard to tell the difference. We're emotional beings, and can experience a deluge of feelings all at once.
If you struggle to put words to quite how you're feeling day to day, please don't worry. This is natural.
Stress for me was somewhat different. It was a temporary feeling, mostly of irritableness & end-of-my-tether-ness. In the early days, I managed it like many others: eating too much, having a glass or two of wine, and sleeping-in too much. These were sticking-plasters
My own personal approach to tackle stress has changed. I do still overeat at times, I'm only human. And I still get irritable, I find it unavoidable. But I now try to manage my stress through small amounts of exercise, working to a plan with specific goals, and deep breathing.
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Like many, time is at a premium given work commitments & the pressures of a young family. For that reason, I choose to do my exercise at home either in my small garden or inside when the weather is bad. I invested in a second-hand barbell set & installed a removable pull-up bar upstairs. I snatch five minutes here & there, whenever I can during the day, for a bit of exercise. The good thing about weight-lifting is that because it's intense you don't need to do much to feel the benefit. Two minutes here, five minutes there. I personally feel an immediate hit of endorphins from the exercise which helps to reduce my stress levels.
Having a plan with specific goals also helps. You gain a sense of satisfaction that you're hitting your goals, that you're prioritising yourself & your health, and that you're achieving small but undeniable improvements over a relatively short amount of time. I use an app on my phone to measure progress.
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Although I chose weight-lifting, many choose other types of exercise. Jogging is a firm favourite & many now join a local group. The same rules apply. Endorphins are released & the improvements are rapid & immensely satisfying. After a while, many move on to doing timed runs and even marathons.
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All this may feel overwhelming if you're struggling with stress & your mental wellness. The key is starting small & keeping going. If you're going to struggle to stay the course, reach out to a friend or family member. Or join a group, whether in-person or online. This will help to provide the emotional support & encouragement to keep plugging away.