Welcome to Mental Health Awareness week 2018 – this week is a key one because it helps focus on our work with people who need support with their mental wellbeing. This campaign keeps on growing, attracting organisations and individuals worldwide which is fantastic as it means awareness is increasing and the stigma attached to mental health is starting to reduce.
This year it’s all about Stress and if we are coping. Throughout the week we will be updating our homepage and social media platforms with useful tips and information about stress and where to get support.
What is Stress
Stress is something we all experience in our lives and all sorts of situations can cause stress, including work, money matters and relationships. When people feel stressed, bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood and this can have an effect on both the body and mind. Most people see stress as a bad thing but not all stress is bad for you, in fact there is evidence to suggest that acute or short-term stress can have protective and beneficial effects – this is called eustress. This diagram explains the different types of stress that we may all encounter at some point in our lives:
If you are over 16 and would like to know what your current mood is, then why not take the NHS Choices mood assessment quiz? It’s a great way to monitor any ups and downs in your mood and you can re-visit anytime.
https://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Mood-self-assessment.aspx
The quiz is not designed to replace an appointment with your GP.