“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu.

Stress and poor mental health are some of the biggest public health challenges that we’re facing.  The cost-of-living crisis has created additional pressure and hardship for many people. The challenges due to the rise in energy and food costs has had a negative impact on many people’s mental health and stress levels.

The Stress Management Society is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping individuals and companies recognise and manage stress. Since their inception in 2003, their aim has been to create a happier, healthier and more resilient world.

Notwithstanding the public health challenges created by stress and poor mental health, the society feel that we’re still not taking its impact seriously enough. On their website (www.stress.org.uk) they say “we continue to separate mental health from physical health and vice versa. The reality is they cannot be separate – they are two sides of the same coin. There is no health without mental health and stress can lead to numerous health problems. From physical problems, like heart disease, insomnia, digestive issues, immune system challenges, etc to more serious mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.”

For the month of April, the Stress Management Society are holding their Stress Awareness Month. This event is to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern-day stress epidemic. It provides an opportunity for an open conversation on the impact of stress.  It’s a dedicated time to help remove the guilt, shame and stigma around mental health. It allows people to talk about stress, and its effects and open up about our mental and emotional state with friends, families, colleagues, and professionals.

The Society’s focus for many years has been on opening a dialogue and creating a safe space for people to have that conversation. To talk about the impact stress creates in their professional and personal lives. Each year, they have chosen themes for stress awareness month that are relevant and reflective of societal challenges. For this year, they have thought carefully about how they take this a step further.

Through their campaign #choosehope they have learned that having hope is imperative to find a way through and beyond our challenges, however, hope isn’t just a feeling, it inspires us to take action. It helps people to perceive things differently and create a plan to achieve desired goals. This has inspired this year’s stress awareness month theme, an invitation to go beyond talk and campaign for taking action and personal responsibility in creating a positive change. They aim to create an opportunity for all of us to consider how we are going to do something to make things better.

The Stress Management Society say on their website that “our role is to empower and inspire people into action. If we look up the word “power” in the dictionary, power quite literally means the ability to do or act. We aim to do this through all the resources and information we will be sharing throughout April. Our commitment is to support individuals and organisations in taking action.”

If you visit their website, you can access lots of free resources including a Daily De-Stressing Planner, a Stress Guide, 7 Steps Achievement Plan, useful infographics on stress and much more!

You can also join their 30-Day Challenge for April, where they are encouraging people to pick one action each for their Physical, Mental and Emotional Wellbeing to carry out every day.  it’s a month-long programme because this helps to turn actions into habits.  The 30-day challenge will maximise your chances of turning useful knowledge and techniques into positive behavioural change.

This week, why not take a few moments out to consider if you or people that you know need to take some action to improve your stress levels and mental health.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk