Promoting good health for Stress Awareness Week

Mental health and wellbeing is just as important as physical health. You wouldn’t let your phone battery get to 1%, so why do we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with urgent tasks, sacrificing necessary time to relax and re-charge our own mind and body?

It’s estimated that half of the world is getting less sleep than what they need (Travel Agent Central, 2018), and many of us eat primarily processed foods and quick meals that can be microwaved, rather than setting aside time to cook nutritious meals.

Stress can be a factor in many other illnesses, which is why it’s important to control it from the onset. If you imagine a stress bucket that exists in your mind, which is filled by all worries and concerns of the day, depending on the size of the bucket, it can quickly overflow. This is when stress starts impacting our ability to function and physical symptoms persist such as headaches and increased heart rate.

At Cross-Guard, we have a dedicated first aid area. In addition to the physical first aiders we have trained, we also have a mental health first aider. Colleagues are encouraged to seek appropriate help if they feel they are struggling with stress.

If you’d like further advice on stress, there are many organisations available to offer support such as the NHS and MIND. You can find some tips for handling stress here: https://www.blackburnwithdarwenccg.nhs.uk/ten-top-stress-busting-tips-for-mental-health-awareness-week-14-20-may-2018/