A little article on the topic of stress, as the 3rd of November was Stress Awareness Day.
Me + stress
For those, who don't know, I suffer from anxiety and self-doubt, which cause me a lot of stress, more than I like to admit.
FYI, according to the Oxford Dictionary, anxiety relates to 'a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome' and self-doubt means 'lack of confidence in oneself and one's abilities'.
It has not been an easy journey for me to admit that and tackle this in my everyday. I consider myself very lucky to be able to be here and share this with you all, actually, as it is weirdly empowering and somewhat cathartic. Over the past 3 years, I have been on a journey where I have tried to be much more honest and compassionate with myself. I thrive on high vibes and challenges - it may sound like a weird combo, but they both push me to sharpen my skills and be the best at what I do.
Stress is something ALL of us suffer from to varying degrees.
These were the 2020 stats from Perkbox about stress.
79% of adults commonly experience work-related stress - 20% higher than in 2018 !
Only 1% could say they ‘never’ experience workplace stress !!
‘Monetary/financial stress’ is the second most common cause of stress (60%), with ‘family stress’ coming third place (48%) !!!
Those aged 45-54 are most likely to be affected (40%) by the number one cause of stress, work-related office politics !!!!
In my newsletter this month, I mentioned the Big Quit or the Great Resignation.
I found this BBC article, that covers the stress that we are put under when quitting a job. I think that with all the stats above, which are actually worsening over time, it is important to explore the Big Quit a bit more.
The article quotes a few reasons for the Big Quit:
'people re-evaluating what they want from their careers during the pandemic'
'the stress of juggling home and work life'
'discontent with employers'
And goes on to cover the meaning of quitting as we know it now: 'Quitting often comes with negative connotations, both from the people around us and from ourselves, even if we have good cause.'
I encourage you to read this article fully, as it is a great read and covers one important point: the stigma that is attached to leaving a job.
Did you know that, according to futurist Rohit Talwar, children of today can expect to hold 40 different jobs in ten completely different career paths in their lives? Read the full article from Peter Harris here. I find this so fascinating.
Our society is changing and as many love to say 👇
So learning how to deal with stress needs to become paramount in our everyday.
Stress has a big impact on our health, both mentally and physically.
If you are struggling with stress, then have a look at this resource page by Rethink Mental Illness, which covers everything about stress:
What is it?
Signs and causes of stress
Link between stress and mental health
How you can help yourself
And finally, this resource by Very Well Mind, covers how to deal with stress at work and my favourite is this article titled 'When You Should Take a Mental Health Day', that normalises the need to take a mental health day, which is something I intend to doing much more of in 2022.
Take care of yourself, your soul and your mind! Remember that you are not alone. 'A problem shared is a problem halved', the saying states, let's believe that it is true. Reach out to me for a chat if you need, I talk a lot, but I am also a great listener. 😉
Vanessa ⭐️