April is Stress Awareness Month so I thought this would be a great opportunity to share some stress relieving ideas with you.
it’s all about community and helping each other
The theme of this year’s Stress Awareness Month is all about COMMUNITY. Studies have shown, unsurprisingly, that over the last 2 years 65% of people have felt more stressed than ever. The fact that we had so many lockdowns and restrictions placed on us meant that we had to face these challenges shut away from our family, friends and colleagues.
Our usual support network was not around to help us. 10.5 million people in the UK said they felt lonely and isolated during the pandemic which in turn effected their mental wellness-being.
We can’t deny the past 2 years have probably been the most challenging any of us have had to face and unfortunately there are still challenges ahead, the rising cost of living and the ongoing war in the Ukraine all add to our stress levels and worries.
We are meant to be a tribe and a community and we need others around us to support and care about us. So how can we work together to help our stress levels?
10 ways to work together to relieve stress
1. Arrange a group activity for you and your friends.
2. Reach out to someone you haven’t seen in a while.
3. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation with someone you care about who you think may be struggling…
“Are you okay?
“How are things going?”
“How are you, really?”
“I’ve noticed that…”
“Do you want to take a walk?”
“What’s on your mind?”
4. Perform a random act of kindness for someone around you. You’ll be surprised about how much a little act can impact upon someone’s day as well as on you.
5. Is there a community project that you can get involved with?
6. Join a club or group activity, not only will you be learning a new skill, getting fitter or enjoying a new past-time – you will be meeting a new group of people.
7. Organise a weekly check in with a friend – meet for a coffee or a walk and a catch up. Even just a regular weekly phone call. Put it in your diary so it makes you more accountable.
8. Plan a night out with friends at a comedy night – laughter really can be the best medicine. Or have a comedy movie night at home.
9. Start your own club – it could be a book club, a cheese and wine club, a pudding club, a games night club or a movie club…
10. Volunteer – helping others and giving freely of your time can really give you a sense of purpose and put life into perspective.
And finally a little quote to end with:
“The most important things in life are the connections you make with others”
Tom Ford
Remember if you need anyone to talk to please drop me a line or call me