By Jenny Beasley
90% of illness is caused or complicated by stress! * That’s one thing that blew me away when I was studying Psychology at university. Over the years I have had loads of occasions when I’ve had a sore throat that has spoiled something I have been looking forward to or caught up with me after a stressful period at work. It always seems grossly unfair to have the stress and then feel ill as well!
But if we know that there is a link between stress and illness then why don’t we all manage it better?
If only it was as easy as that.
- It is really important to know your triggers and to have things ready that work for you and that you can do as soon as you see the warning signs coming. Here are some things to think about when you start to feel stressed.
- Get outside, especially as we head into winter lack of day light and worsening weather can reduce vitamin D levels and affect mood and well being. It also helps give a change of perspective. 10 Reasons Why Being Outside is Important – Ask The Scientists
- Do some sort of exercise, it gets the feel-good endorphins pumping and provides a physical version of meditation and reduces the physical effects of stress. I find walking really helpful and it’s easy to fit into your day. Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress – Mayo Clinic
- Clearing your head can help, for some people writing it all down is a great way to do this and you can pick out things that need focusing on
- Meditation can help. Apps like the Daily Calm (there are lots on YouTube) can help you calm and give your brain a break from thinking
- Take time to look at the causes / patterns and see if you need to make changes to areas of your life that cause you stress
All of the above help with sleep which often gets disturbed when we are stressed
When I took charge of my career and focused on growing my confidence “stress throat” didn’t happen as often. I still get it every now and then when I am run down but the instances are so much less, thank goodness.
*U.S. Federal Government. Centers for Disease Control (CDC): 90 percent of all illness and disease is related to stress
About the author
Jennie is a qualified coach with over 20 years of experience in HR, mainly in the food industry where she had held business partner and Head of HR roles for Bakkavor, Freshtime, Greencore and JDM Food Group. She grew frustrated and overloaded with the never-ending demands of HR in food. Having found ways to navigate the challenges of the food industry she is now focused on helping other HR professionals take back control of their career and learn how to work and lead their own way. email freedomhrandcoaching@btinternet.com to contact her directly.
