International Stress Awareness Day

Stress is how you react when you feel under pressure or threatened. It usually happens when you are in a situation that you don't feel you can manage or control. Sometimes, a small amount of stress can help you to complete tasks and feel more energised, but stress can become a problem when it lasts for a long time or is very intense. In some cases, stress can affect your physical and mental health. 

If you are stressed, you might feel symptoms such as being irritable, angry, impatient, over-burdened, overwhelmed, anxious, nervous, or afraid, your thoughts are racing, and you can’t switch off, being depressed and being uninterested in life. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should contact your GP. 

If you would like to undertake a stress test to examine how you are feeling, click here. At the end you will be given a score, a report and recommendations.  

If you want to try to increase your resilience to stress, try the 7-day guidance and stress management tool from the Stress Management Society. It sends wellbeing tips straight into your inbox to help support you. To access, click here. 

Recorded sessions that are available to view: 

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have recorded on online session to raise awareness about fatigue, burnout and resilience in working environments and the preventive measures to effectively deal with it. To access the recording of the session, click here.  
• Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS) recorded a stress management session, which includes information on what stress is and how to manage it. To access, click here. 

Other Events:

Stress Control Classes 

HSCNI offer online ‘Stress Control Programmes’ over a 6-week period and combine behavioural therapy, positive psychology, and wellbeing to help you tackle common mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, panic, poor sleep, poor wellbeing, low self-confidence, and low self-esteem. Classes will commence on Monday 6 November 2023. To access the course and joining instructions, click here.  

Back Massage 

During November why not get a back massage to help you relax? De Courcey Hair and Beauty Salon in SERC Downpatrick Campus have a special offer on during the month of November - a back massage for only £5.00. To make a reservation, call or text 07825027755. 

Learn How to Reduce your Stress 

Lorraine from Wellbeing NI is offering a short 30-minute online self-care session on Tuesday 14 November 2023, 9.30am to 10am. She will be showing you techniques to reduce stress along with a body scan meditation and she will finish by focusing on what you can do to take care of yourself. For more information click here. 

More information and support can be accessed in the Healthy Minds section on the Mind Yourself App.