April is Stress Awareness Month
April is Stress Awareness Month
Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992. It's a time to think about what stress really is, how it affects our bodies and minds, and what we can do to manage it better. Stress plays a big part in our health, our work, and our relationships. The aim of this month is to raise awareness of stress, where it comes from, and how to handle it in a smart and healthy way.
Understanding Stress and Finding Balance
Stress is a natural reaction. It happens in our minds and in our bodies when we believe something important is at risk. But not all stress is bad.
There are two kinds of stress:
- Eustress - This is the helpful kind. It gives us energy and focus. It drives us to achieve goals, learn new things, and push forward.
- Distress - This is the harmful kind. It comes when we face too much stress, for too long, too often. This kind of stress damages health and leads to burnout.
To manage stress well, we must stay in what we call Perfect Balance. That means keeping the intensity, duration, and frequency of stress within limits that help us grow, not break us.
Intensity is how strong the stress is.
Duration is how long it lasts.
Frequency is how often it shows up.
When those three are kept in the right balance, we stay in the eustress zone.
But stress is not just about what happens to us-it's also about how we respond. We respond with our mind, body, and environment.
The mind can either make stress worse or better. What we think matters. We must watch our thoughts and change the ones that increase pressure.
The body needs energy to handle stress. Good nutrition, sleep, movement, and rest make the body stronger and more resilient. On the other hand, junk food, alcohol and wrong drugs make us worse.
The environment either adds stress or helps take it away. Noise, mess, disorder and aggressive people add stress, while calm surroundings, nice people, good order, and support help remove it.
To perform well under pressure, we must take care of all three: mind, body, and environment.
Action Plan
If you want to learn how to manage stress, build resilience, and become more productive and happier even in stressful times, you can attend our online training. This short, practical session will show you how to take control of stress and stay in Perfect Balance.
Follow this link to book your place.
Definition: Perfect Balance
Perfect Balance is a work model that guides people to keep stress at helpful levels. It sets clear limits for how strong, how long and how often pressure can be. By watching mind, body and space, and by adjusting when limits are passed, it keeps us in the healthy stress zone and prevents harm.
Show CG4D Definition
- Defines safe limits for stress across strength, length and rate
- Keeps pressure helpful rather than harmful
- Links mind, body and space as one system
- Requires ongoing self-check and change by the person
Article Summary
Stress Awareness Month shows that stress can power us or drain us; by guiding our thoughts, caring for our body and shaping a calm space, we turn harmful pressure into helpful drive, keep Perfect Balance and grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What is Stress Awareness Month?
Is all stress harmful?
What does eustress mean in simple terms?
How can I know if I have slipped into distress?
Why do intensity, duration and frequency matter?
How does my mind affect stress levels?
What quick habits help manage stress daily?
Thought of something that's not been answered? Ask Us Today!
Did You Know: Key Statistics
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 found that 41% of workers felt stressed for much of the previous day. The CIPD Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey 2024 shows that 76% of UK employers recorded stress-related sick leave in the last year.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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