Stress levels in the UK are rising, with more people experiencing this pressure-induced state than ever before.
It could be receiving bad news, another traffic jam or a hectic working day, many triggers cause stress, and these triggers are different for everyone. What we know from the statistics is that stress is becoming a more prominent part of people’s lives, and in the process, it’s affecting their health, meaning healthcare costs are also surging.
While small amounts of stress can help us to rise to challenges and exert our strengths, long-term stress can lead to serious problems like burnout. In this article, we’ll be looking at stress statistics in a little more detail to understand how prevalent stress is, what the impacts are and what causes it.
How Prevalent is Stress?
Research shows that in the last year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been unable to cope, with one in five people in the UK feeling stressed more days a month than they don’t and 79% of people are often stressed at work.
Stress-related healthcare costs in the UK amount to £8.3 billion. 51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling depressed and 61% reported feeling anxious. 54% of people who are stressed worry about the impact it is having on their health.
The biggest cause of stress at work is reported to be workload, with money, work and health concerns being the most common causes of stress.
Recognising Stress
Most people will be familiar with the tight chest, fast-flooding thoughts and low mood that arise as a result of stress. How each person experiences stress will be unique to them. But generally, there are some common signs and symptoms:
Physical signs: difficulty breathing, sleeping problems, fatigue, chest pains, weight changes.
Behavioural signs: changes like withdrawing from others, being unable to switch off, and not enjoying things you usually do.
Emotions you might be feeling: overwhelmed, depressed, irritable, angry, worried, tense, uninterested in life or lonely.
Recognising stress when it arises is essential to overcoming it. If you notice any of the signs above, stop and ask yourself: am I feeling stressed right now? There’s no one quick fix for stress. As humans, we’re all going to experience this at some point. But you can reduce the impact stress has in your life by recognising it when it arises and by trying these stress-reducing tips:
Manage pressure
Pressure is a part of all our lives – without it we could not achieve our full potential. Pressure is inevitable. It comes from a variety of sources including work, home, personal life, holidays and travel, Christmas, exams, business change and balancing work and home life. Pressure is a neutral force. How we react to pressure can make the difference between good and bad outcomes.
Everyday pressures influence how well we feel and how we perform. Ideally our days need to be in comfort and stretch. Strain and panic reduce performance and increase our risk of ill health.
Boredom – without stimulation and challenge we become bored and under-achieve.
Comfort zone – with a little more pressure we enter a zone where we feel comfortable – not too little and not too much pressure – but when we are in the left hand side of this zone we are not being nearly as productive as we might be.
Stretch zone – this is where we perform at our best. However, we need to keep ‘jumping back’ into the comfort zone to refresh and regroup, because we can’t stay in the stretch zone for too long without a release from the pressure, otherwise we slip into the strain zone.
Strain zone – the line between the stretch zone and the strain zone is a thin one, and once we enter the strain zone our performance starts to fall off. If we stretch ourselves for too long without a break eventually the pressure gets too high and we slip into the strain zone. When we’re in this zone we feel tired and fatigued, pressure turns into stress and we begin to experience difficulty concentrating, we become less creative and have lower intellectual performance.
Panic zone – (or overwhelmed zone) where we feel severely stressed and are at risk of serious health problems. The effects of pressure are quite considerable and we feel burnt out, exhausted and may even break down
Stress Chemicals
When faced with a situation that makes you stressed, your body releases certain chemicals which invoke the fight or flight feelings that help us to deal with the situation.
Often the situation does not require this extreme flight or fight response and as a result these chemicals are not used. When the chemicals that are released during stressful situations build up from not being used, their effects are felt by the body. These can increase blood pressure, heart rate and the amount that you sweat. Some can prevent your immune system from functioning properly, as well as releasing fat and sugar into your blood stream.
Managing stress and pressure
Get moving
Exercise in any form is one of the best stress busters you can find. And the best thing? It costs nothing. It could be a walk to the park, a dance around the kitchen or a 10-minute stretch.
Laughter is the best medicine
Laughing it off should never be underestimated. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, call the friend that always makes you laugh, put on your favourite feel-good film, or even go to a comedy night. These little spurts of laughter can go a long way.
Put sleep first
Sleep is good for the soul. It’s the body’s way of restoring, rebalancing and recharging itself. After a good night’s sleep, you’ll be more equipped to take on the tasks and scenarios that make up your day-to-day.
Top tips to manage stress
Make a list at the end of each day
Make a list and tackle daily pressures
Schedule your time to include breaks and focused work
Don’t let things get to you
Keep home and work separate (enjoy life outside of work)
Share concerns with other people (friend, manager, colleagues, counsellor/GP/health professional)
Smile more often – be more positive
Breathe deeply when tense and anxious
Try to deal with situations objectively in an unemotional way
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