Understanding Stress

Stress

Stress can be both positive and negative. As a positive influence, stress can motivate individuals into action and increase productivity levels. However, as a negative influence, feeling stressed can have the opposite effect and actually lead to adverse physical symptoms. Each individual will have different stress thresholds, and what is stressful to one person may be exciting to another, and vice versa.

What is stress?

Stress is caused by the body’s natural reaction to protect itself, so in an emergency stress will force us to exert maximum effort to defend ourselves. However if no emergency happens, all the extra energy has nowhere to go and negative stress can lead to anxiety, anger and depression, as well as headaches, high blood pressure and insomnia.

Stress can occur in different areas of our lives, such as work or our personal lives. Being stressed is recognised to be one of the main causes of absence from work, and research suggests about half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress that they believe is making them ill.

Changes in personal lives such as the birth of a child, a relationship or the death of a loved one can cause stress as individuals adjust to changes. Negative stress occurs when a person feels they are unable to cope with the level of stress facing them, presenting the need for stress management or help with stress levels.

Stress symptoms - Are you stressed?

If you are stressed you may have emotional, physical and mental stress symptoms which may benefit from some form of help, advice or stress management coaching. These stress symptoms may include but are not limited to:

Emotional:

• depression
• irritability
• low moods
• anxiety.

Physical:

• headaches
• fatigue
• nausea
• pounding heart
• insomnia.

Mental:

• loss of concentration
• negative thoughts
• lack of interest
• poor judgement.

Stress management and the ability to de-stress is therefore important, and although stress cannot be eliminated completely (as it’s a natural response), it can often be effectively managed. Some quick tips for managing stress are:

• prepare to the best of your ability for stressful events
• ask for help from family, friends and professionals
• set realistic goals
• exercise
• meditate
• eat a well-balanced diet
• try to get about 8 hours sleep per night.

Life Coaching and Stress Management

Stress management from a qualified life coach involves helping an individual to understand why they’re feeling the way they are and understand how thoughts can be modified to help manage their stress. Exploring an individual’s personal stress levels can also help them to identify their own stress threshold, and identify when they are feeling negatively stressed.

Types of stress, causes and symptoms

Stress can take on many different forms and be caused by a number of things individually or a build up of multiple issues. Working out how to cope with your stress levels and experience less stress will mean identifying the causes and symptoms. Here are some common types of stress, possible causes and symptoms:

Work stress

Something which is becoming increasingly common as a cause of stress in the UK is work related stress. As a nation we are now working longer hours, and recent statistics (2011) show that 6 out of 10 workers are working overtime with 79% of these hours going unpaid. This sort of pattern is a perfect platform for work stress problems, and stress is now the number one cause of long term absence from work in manual and non-manual employees.

If you are experiencing work stress it is definitely worth seeking help or advice. Whether it comes from a friend, colleague, manager or professional life coach, talking about what you are experiencing and the feelings you have will be the first step towards a happier life.

Some of the symptoms you might experience with work stress in particular are:

• dreading going to work each day
• finding it hard to concentrate at work
• low productivity levels
• trouble switching off from work
• breakdown of relationships outside of work
• feeling overwhelmed and can’t cope
• lack of enthusiasm.

There may be other factors outside of work which are causing or contributing to your work stress, so ensure you think carefully about where your stressed feeling is coming from before you are able to start addressing it.

Relationship stress

Being in a relationship with someone else can cause every day pressures for all of us, but sometimes this goes even further and you may experience high stress levels which you can pin down to being caused by the relationship you are in.

Relationship stress doesn’t only occur within couples (married or otherwise) but is also very common between family, friends, colleagues, bosses, employees and strangers. A lot of the time the stress in a relationship can be caused by arguments between people, however, there is also an awful lot of stress which is brought about by lack of communication. When you feel aggrieved or annoyed with someone or something they have done and you don’t express it the pressure and stress caused stays within you and can eat away at you. This is why it is extremely important to communicate within your relationships. This doesn’t mean you have to tell people about every single thing that annoys you, but if you think it is likely to cause an argument in the future, perhaps it is best to address it swiftly with a calm discussion. This simple action can make a massive difference to stress levels within your relationships.

Often your stress in a relationship is not coming from the other person or people in the relationship, as many people perceive it to be. A lot of the time, our own actions and thoughts which we are not fully aware of cause stress to us and addressing this first will enable you to feel less stressed.

How To Make Positive Changes In Your Life

Here are some interesting facts that may surprise you and encourage you to make positive changes in your life:

• By not eating lunch your performance will drop by up to 20%

• The Brain is 84% water so it is imperative to drink half a pint of water every hour to maintain high levels of thinking.

• Your diet should contain 65% carbohydrate 15% fat and 20% protein to maintain high performances.

• You need to drink 2 cups of water to replace the dehydration caused by one cup of coffee / fizzy drink (cola).

• Sweets fuel the stress response so when over stressed reduce intake.

• The human body was built for 'grazing', so lots of mini meals spaced out are better than one to three large meals.

• The brain is connected to the spine therefore movement aids higher levels of thinking as it stimulates the cognitive brain cells, and generates higher energy levels that feed into the brain.

• After 15-20 minutes worth of exercise the body’s energy levels are raised by 35%.

• Tannin in drinks such as coffee and tea reduce the absorption of vitamins and minerals into the body, so if you are lacking certain vitamins do not drink coffee or tea with meals, leave until an hour afterwards.

• After exercise replace energy i.e. carbohydrates / protein within two hours otherwise fat is added and your energy bank is not replaced.

• You need a minimum of six to eight glasses of water a day to maintain hydration in normal circumstances.

• Two in three people suffer from high levels of stress at work.

• Most people experience depression in some way but don't realise it, or acknowledge it.

So, what changes will you be making today to improve the quality of your life? All it takes it a simple change, and you may begin to notice big differences!

Asking Yourself Solution-Focused Questions To Solve A Problem

Have you ever had a problem that you can’t move forward on? Sometimes it’s a big problem and sometimes it’s small, but what you may not realise is that it might not be the problem that is the real problem! In this article I want to share some useful questions that can powerfully alter your feelings about a problem you may be experiencing and help you think constructively about how to resolve it.

Our ability to produce intelligent solutions to complex problems is a direct result of our ability to ask useful questions about that problem. So it is not necessarily thinking that we need to be good at - although this helps too - but asking smart questions.

If you have a problem that simply won’t go away, whether it is health, relationship or work related, it may not be the problem that is the real problem, but the type of questions you are asking yourself about it and the people involved. Are you paying attention to the kind of questions you are asking about the problem? It is useful to set aside 10 to 15 minutes for this. You can run any subject through these questions: career, relationship, weight loss or a conflict. The idea is to answer both sets of questions and compare the notes afterwards to see for yourself what an effect it can have . It’s really interesting what comes up!

The first set of questions are the types that we often unconsciously ask ourselves - we do it by habit, and in our everyday moans. These questions are unhelpful because they do not point our focus in the direction of our resources and abilities to solve the problem we are faced with.

The second set of questions direct our focus to our innate resources and ability to solve complex problems. For the purpose of the exercise, and for comparison, it is useful if you run the same problem through both sets of questions. But don’t get stuck!

1. Questions that keep us stuck:

"What's wrong?"

“How does it make you feel?”

"Why do you have this problem?"

"How long have you had it?"

"Whose fault is it?"

The second set constructively direct our focus towards the solutions. The information that these set of questions dig up contain the solution to the actual problem. Try it for yourself and see.

2. Solution Focused Questions:

"What do you want, specifically, (instead of the problem)?"

“What will you see when you have what you want?”

“How will it feel, exactly, to have what you want?”

"How will you know, specifically, that you have it?"

"In what ways will your life improve?"

"What small thing could you do today to bring you closer or to improve the situation?"

Project yourself to the time in the future when you have successfully resolved the issue – knowing what you now know – turn and look back and notice at least five of the steps that you took, or five things you did (or stopped doing) to have this issue resolved.

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Image Source: allposters.co.uk

The Benefits Of Drinking Water

Water is one of the many natural things in life that is very vital and beneficial to our health, both mentally and physically, and as it is so accessible and cost-friendly to everyone, there's no reason why you shouldn't make a conscious effort to drink more!

Water is a natural remedy in many cases, meaning that it can potentially replace the use of certain medicines and make life generally easier. No-one can deny the importance of water, but what are the specific benefits of drinking it regularly to our wellbeing?

The list of advantages goes on, but here are some of the most useful and beneficial effects of drinking water:

Detox

Water is the ultimate natural detox tool, enabling you to keep your body pure and flush the negative toxins from your body. Our bodies are already programmed to act as effective detoxifiers, but this is mainly fuelled by the amount of water we drink, so ensure that your intake is frequent to benefit from these detoxing qualities.

Bowels

Unknown to many, constipation can be helped significantly by increasing water intake. It is recommended that drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day can prevent constipation, as well as reducing the symptoms for existing sufferers.

Skin

By drinking plenty of water you are helping to keep your skin hydrated and healthy, which is particularly beneficial in trying to fight the signs of ageing. We are encouraged to use moisturizers daily on our skin, but when one of the main ingredients of such a product is water, why not save money and moisturize your skin from the inside out? Water is also great for reducing spots and acne, as it flushes out the bad toxins and impurities that are cause for your bad skin.

Weight Loss

One of the great things about water is that it is a good appetite suppressor, when drunk often, and will help you to keep your snacking habits at bay inbetween meals. It is also a great calorie-free replacement for fizzy and sugar-loaded drinks that are damaging to your health and teeth.

Hangovers

Hangovers are a painful result of having one too many the night before, but the reason behind this is dehydration. The best way to overcome, or even prevent, a hangover is to drink plenty of water the night of consuming alcohol, preferably before you go to bed, and continuing this ritual throughout the next day. Your symptoms will be reduced significantly, in particular that splitting headache!

Cellulite

The main cause of cellulite is a build-up of unwanted toxins in the body, and by not regularly drinking water and ridding your body of such toxins, you are more likely to get it. Once you have cellulite it can be difficult to rid yourself of it, which involves a long detoxifying process. Water is a powerful prevention for cellulite, as it allows the body to be cleansed of such toxins and waste products.

Kidneys

Water is an essential part of good kidney health, and with an insufficient intake of it you are making your body vulnerable to a variety of diseases by potentially putting your kidneys at risk. The kidneys act as a filter system in the body, but require the frequent movement of water through them to perform well, therefore by regularly drinking water you are ensuring the wellbeing of your kidneys, and consequently your health.

Water is such a vital part of our wellbeing and solves a variety of problems, as well as increasing the quality of your mental and physical health. Water makes up 50-70% of an adult's body weight, therefore it is important to constantly top up on our intake to ensure our bodies function to the ability they are capable of. It is recommended that we all drink 6-8 glasses of water a day in order to replace the water lost by our bodies on a daily basis, so why not make a conscious effort to reach this goal, and see how water can benefit you?

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Image Source: colon-cleanse-with-detox-diet.com

How To Beat The Winter Blues

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or more commonly known as SAD, or the "winter blues", is a form of winter depression that currently effects approximately 7% of the population every winter between the months of September and April.

The condition is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus as a result of decreased daylight hours and lack of sunlight during the winter months. This lack of light can lead to symptoms of SAD occurring in some people, such as:

- Depression

- Sleep problems

- Lethargy

- Over-eating

- Loss of concentration

- Social problems

- Anxiety

- Loss of libido

- Mood changes

If you notice that you are experiencing a variety of these symptoms during the winter months in particular, then you may be suffering from SAD.

The majority of people with SAD will also show signs of having a weakened immune system, thereby making them more vulnerable to illnesses and diseases.

Subsyndromal SAD, or the "winter blues", is a less severe version of the condition, including the symptoms of tiredness, lethargy and sleep and eating problems, but depression and anxiety tend to be absent or mild. A further 17% of the population suffer from this form of SAD.

Suffering from SAD is an unpleasant experience for many, and the majority of people won't even realise that they have it. Even if you think you may be experiencing SAD, there are treatments available that can make your Christmas a happier one!

The main treatment for SAD is light therapy, which enables your body to get the essential light and vitamin D it needs. However, light therapy is not currently funded by the NHS and can be an expensive form of treatment.

If you cannot afford such treatment, then why not try the following self-help treatments that are guaranteed to make you feel better in no time:

- Exercise outdoors if possible - this can be something as simple as walking yours or a neighbour's dog. The dog will love it and so will you!

- When the sun does shine, get out there as you will still get the essential vitamin D. We have some beautiful clear blue winter days.

- Prepare for winter by lining up some projects that can be completed during the winter months, such as online course/distance learning that will keep you busy and focused. You could also read that favourite book of yours, improve your cookery skills, invite friends around for dinner, or even - dare I say it - spring clean!

- Book a cheap winter holiday in the sun by registering with something like Travelzoo or Dealchecker. These companies trawl the holiday bargains each week and let you know by weekly email but you can log in anytime to find out what’s on offer – last week they offered a £299 all inclusive week in the Canaries - bargain!

So there are many ways of reducing symptoms of SAD, but if you feel you may be suffering from the condition, the first thing you should do is consult your doctor. Don't let SAD get you down this winter!

Image source: guardian.co.uk

What Makes You Spark and Sparkle?

Once you have established your own personal footprint of core values, you can then quite easily work out what to do more of and, what to avoid.


Some examples of typical core value are;


Respect, adventure, imagination, contribution, trust, vitality, experience.


In essence, if these words conjure up a feeling of true and meaningful depth for you, or perhaps move you in some way, you are beginning to find out what really matters for you.


This will begin to create a happier you, a happier life and will enable you to build up your emotional strength to deal with the rotten stuff when it happens.


We spend a lot of our time "doing" for others, and so it is easy to lose sight of who we are!


If you would like a full set of the core values please email me on niki@nikichalkley.com with 'Values' as the title.

Image Source: http://www.relentlessly-positive.com/

Superfoods for a Healthier You - Spinach

When spinach comes to mind, those of us who are older than we'd like to admit will instantly be reminded of the pipe blowing, face-scrunching sailor, Popeye. According to our muscly friend, spinach has the ability to provide super-strength that will allow you to send people flying through the cartoon sky...


Although Popeye may have slightly overestimated the ability of spinach, he wasn't completely wrong about it being an excellent vegetable to regularly consume.


In fact, spinach is such a nutritionally beneficial food that researchers found that keeping ageing laboratory animals on spinach-rich diets significantly improved their motor skills and learning abilities.


The main benefits of this tasty, mild-flavoured vegetable include:

• The flavonoid compounds in the leaves have been found to act as antioxidants, therefore protecting the body against stomach, skin, breast, prostate and many other types of cancer.




• The high content of carotene means that spinach is a strong protector of eyesight, giving carrots a run for their money.




• It is also particularly rich in vitamin K, which helps to boost bone strength and is thought to even prevent osteoporosis.




• Spinach also contains peptides, which are aspects of protein that have been shown to lower blood pressure.




• Its high vitamin E content is said to help protect the brain from cognitive decline as we age.
  
  

Due to its mild flavour, spinach is a perfect accompaniment to most foods when you are trying to improve the nutritional benefits of your meals. It is also fairly cheap and long lasting so that you can make the most out of it.

Superfood tip: The carotene in spinach is better absorbed when the leaves are cooked, rather than eaten raw, or perhaps try adding a little oil. The best way of retaining the antioxidants within the fruit is to steam or stir-fry.