What is stress?

People feel little stress when they have the time, experience and resources to handle a situation and they  feel great stress when they do not see themselves as being able to handle the demands put upon them.  Stress is therefore a negative experience and unique to each individual and their set of circumstances,  character and outlook.
 
Stress is a modern malaise, or is it? After all, in the past, there was lots to do and without the help of time  saving machines.  But life seemed to be much simpler then, without the threat of terrorism or the  uncertainty of a machine replacing you in your job or your pension disappearing.  
 
In modern life, we just seem to have so much to do and not enough time, and it can feel like being a  hamster on a wheel, unable to get off. The speed of technological advances can help us with gadgets that  save us time and stress, yet at the same time they compound it, e.g. receiving e mails and phone calls  wherever you are, so you never actually switch off and recharge yourself. The British work some of the  longest hours in Europe, plus how hard we can be on ourselves and others.  

What causes stress?

So what causes modern stress?  

• Not having clearly defined goals, responsibility, a sense of purpose
• Fear of change and uncertainty about the future  
• Working too long hours without enough rest  
• Low self esteem – not feeling good enough  
• Feeling powerless to change or influence your individual circumstances  
• Believing that your opinion doesn’t matter or isn’t heard or valued  
• Feeling judged, criticised or ignored by others  
• Other people’s insecurity manifesting as bullying or unreasonable behaviour  
• Believing that working hard or being successful is the key to being a ‘good’ person  
• Regrets about the past and what could have been  
• Feeling stuck in relationships or jobs that aren’t working and being afraid to rock the boat in case the grass isn’t greener  
• Not having the skills or confidence to do a task and feeling that owning up to this would be a sign of weakness  
• Living a life or doing a job or career that you fell into or someone else chose for you, but isn’t actually what you really want  
  

What are the symptoms of stress?

There are many different symptoms of stress. What are yours? They include:  

• Overactive imagination or fast and negative internal dialogue
• Difficulty in sleeping and lacking in energy  
• Repeated headaches  
• Shallow breathing 
• Overreacting to things unnecessarily or unrelated to the cause of the stress 
• Being short tempered and snapping at others  
• Dizziness 
• Feeling a sense of rising panic 
• Palpitations and sweating  
  

How does coaching help manage stress?

Coaching helps you to manage stress because you:  

• can identify the causes of your stress and what you can do about them
• examine the big picture of your life so you can have a better work life balance which reduces stress 
• get to know what’s important to you, i.e. your values and motivation, so that you can choose how you vote with your time and energy with more conscious awareness  
• set S.M.A.R.T. goals and achieve them so you feel great and empowered  
• have the unconditional and confidential support of your coach to create change on your terms  
• can speak freely about the causes of stress in your life or work that you may feel inhibited to discuss elsewhere e.g. with your boss  
• receive objective feedback about things that you are too close to yourself to see 
• explore and change beliefs that you are unaware of which are at the root cause of the stress e.g. I have to work very hard to be successful or I won’t be good enough unless everything is perfect  
• have time dedicated for you to think and talk about you, what you want to change and how to do it  
• gain the skills, confidence & tools to try new things and push out your comfort zone  
  

12 simple tips to help you manage stress

1. Know your individual warning signs & triggers of stress and catch them early
2. Identify what you can do about them and take action  
3. Pamper yourself in whatever way is right for you; massage, listen to music, have a hot bath, watch a comedy show etc.   
4. Share your worries with someone you trust 
5. Take 30 minutes each day to take stock and refine how and when to deal with the causes of stress  
6. Get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet and do some exercise that you find enjoyable 
7. Have a specific appointment after your normal daily work e.g. an evening class at least once a week so that you leave work on time 
8. Take mini breaks during the day and stretch your limbs  
9. Increase your self awareness and knowledge via ‘self-help’ books, courses and/or get a coach 
10. Plan ahead weekends away and holidays to wind down and de-stress  
11. Attend a stress management course or read stress management books  
12. Spend time in nature and enjoy simple things like kicking autumn leaves or feeding the ducks  
    

Testimonials from Energise clients relevant to managing stress  

“Since coaching, I feel that I do have the power to change areas of my life over which I have control.”
 
“One of the many things that coaching has given me is recognition of the need to be easier on myself and the commitment to take more time off, quite an achievement for me!”  
 
“Coaching has put me back in control of the situation that I had found myself in”   
 
“Coaching has given me a new perspective on the challenges I am facing and a framework to work through all the choices that are available to me.”
 
“Life coaching with Energise is revealing solutions to life’s obstacles”  
 
“Prior to the coaching, my lack of experience was a hindrance and I couldn’t see how I was going to get to grips with my role and it was making me feel quite panicky. Now I feel more in control and I have new tools and skills.”
 
“I no longer feel blinded by the scale of a problem.”