What is stress awareness week?
Stress awareness week is annual event dedicated to raising awareness about stress, its impact on mental and physical health, and the importance of stress management.
What is stress?
Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. When you are stressed, your body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Stress is your body’s reaction to help you deal with pressure or threats. This is sometimes called a “fight or flight” response. Your stress hormone levels usually return to normal once the pressure or threat has passed.
Who does stress impact?
It affects millions of people in the UK every day, around 74% of people in the UK have suffered with stress this year. A small amount of stress can be useful. It can motivate you to act and get tasks completed. It can also make you feel alive and excited. But too much stress can cause negative effects such as a change in your mood, your body and relationship issues.
What can I do to help cope with stress?
Stress diary- If you don’t know what is causing your stress, it might help to keep a ‘stress diary’ for a few weeks. It may help you to identify areas in your life that you may be able to change.
Plan your time- Planning your time can make you feel more in control. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much in one go.
Get enough sleep-If you’re dealing with stress you may struggle to sleep well. If you don’t get enough sleep this can cause problems such as poor concentration and low mood. Long term sleep issues can lead to mental health problems such as depression.
Do something nice for yourself every day- It is important to do some things because you want to, not because you have to. This could include reading a book, watching a film, doing something creative, or eating something you enjoy.
Practice positive thinking- Learning to think in a more positive and productive way could help you cope more easily with the stresses of everyday life.
Where can I go for help and support?
If you find your stress is becoming unmanageable or you’d like to talk to someone about the stress you are experiencing whether that be something affecting you inside or outside of college your student services team are here to listen. You can make a self-referral to Student Services by email: studentservicesreferrals@confetti.ac.uk , by phone on 0115 9522075 or drop by the Student Services Offices located in the DMH building of Confetti between the hours of 8:30-5:00pm.
Togetherall: As a Confetti student you have access to Togetherall. Togetherall is an online platform to support your wellbeing. Please visit our landing page and sign up using your Confetti or NTU email address here: https://account.v2.togetherall.com/join/clacfz00d1289967f4r4zklqwlkw
Speak to your GP- Write down what you want to say in advance, and take your notes in with you to your appointment. Be open with the stress you’re experiencing and the impact it’s having on your life.
To learn more about stress and for more tips with dealing with stress you can visit:
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/your-mind-plan-quiz/
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/
For more information about the resources available to you, visit our Student Support webpage.
