MENTAL HEALTH: STRESS

I officially welcome you to the mental health talk with Tiana.
First, let's talk about the meaning of mental health- Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.
Mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others.
A person struggling with their mental health may experience this because of stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, death of a loved one, suicidal thoughts, grief, addiction, ADHD, various mood disorders, or other mental illnesses of varying degrees.
Mental health is a socially constructed and socially defined concept; that is, different societies, groups, cultures, institutions and professions have very different ways of conceptualizing its nature and causes, determining what is mentally healthy, and deciding what interventions, if any, are appropriate.
In Nigeria, stress and overthinking is one of the major causes of mental illness.
Let's talk about stress.

What is stress?
Stress can be defined as the degree to which you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures that are unmanageable.

What makes us stressed?
There are many things that can lead to stress. The death of a loved one, divorce/separation, losing a job and unexpected money problems are among the top ten causes of stress but not all life events are negative and even positive life changes, such as moving to a bigger house, gaining a job promotion or going on holiday can be sources of stress.



What are the signs of stress?

EMOTIONAL CHANGES
When you are stressed, you may experience many different feelings, including anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, or frustration. These feelings can sometimes feed on each other and produce physical symptoms, making you feel even worse. For some people, stressful life events can contribute to symptoms of depression.
Work-related stress can also have negative impacts on mental health. Work-related stress accounts for an average of 23.9 days of work

BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES
When you are stressed you may behave differently. For example, you may become withdrawn, indecisive or inflexible. You may not be able to sleep properly. You may be irritable or tearful. Some people may resort to smoking, consuming more alcohol, or taking drugs.
Stress can make you feel angrier or more aggressive than normal.
Stress may also affect the way we interact with our close family and friends.

BODY CHANGES
When stressed, some people start to experience headaches, nausea and indigestion. You may breathe more quickly, perspire more, have palpitations or suffer from various aches and pains. You will quickly return to normal without any negative effects if what is stressing you is short-lived, and many people are able to deal with a certain level of stress without any lasting adverse effects.
If you experience stress repeatedly over a prolonged period, you may notice your sleep and memory are affected, your eating habits may change, or you may feel less inclined to exercise.

Who Is Affected By Stress?
You,I, All of us can probably recognise at least some of the feelings described above and may have felt stressed and overwhelmed at some time or another. Some people seem to be more affected by stress than others. For some people, getting out of the door on time each morning can be a very stressful experience. Whereas others may be able to cope with a great deal of pressure.
Some groups of people may be more likely to experience stressful life events and situations than others. For example, people living with high levels of debt, or financial insecurity are more likely to experience stress related to money, people from minority ethnic groups or those who are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) may be more likely to experience stress due to prejudice, or discrimination.

HOW CAN YOU HELP YOURSELF?
There are some actions that you can take as an individual to manage the immediate, sometimes unpleasant, signs of stress and identify, reduce, and remove stressful factors that may cause you to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. If you feel comfortable, talking to a friend or close colleague at work about your feelings can help you manage your stress.
1. Realize when it is causing a problem and identify the causes.
2. Review your lifestyle.
3. Build supportive relationships.
4. Eat healthily.
5. Exercise.
6. Be aware of your drinking and smoking habits.
7. Take time out.
8. Get some restful sleep.
9. Be mindful.
10. Don't be too hard on yourself.

A reminder that life is terrible at times.
A reminder to pause, appreciate, be thankful for life.
A reminder that we take too much for granted
A reminder that nothing lasts forever, your pain is temporary.
A reminder that, it's going to get better.
You are incredible. You are enough. You have so much potential and so many things left to do. You have time. Better things are coming your way, so please hang in there. You can do it.
There is something on the other side of this confusion and sadness.
You just have to get there first, just know you aren't alone, I'm with you.
Post By: Tiana Adeola
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