Stress & Mental Health: When was your last Check up?
As a Leadership Consultant & Coach, I am always hearing about the Stress we are all under.
While the term Stress is nothing new the frequency of which the term is being used at every level within the organisation is certainly on the rise! Stress-related illness costs the Australian economy $14.81 billion a year in absenteeism and presenteeism, where people come to work but have low levels of productivity. The direct cost to employers is $10.11 billion and, on average, more than three days are lost to stress per worker per year.
Mental stress causes the body to move into a fight or flight reaction which releases adrenaline and cortisol, raises the heart rate, boosts glucose levels in the bloodstream and diverts energy from the immune system to other areas of the body. This reaction helps people remove themselves from danger at which time the body usually returns to normal. When mental stress is prolonged, the body will not return to normal as easily as it previously did and many key body systems can start to breakdown causing major health problems.
Today coincides with the famous R U OK day and I have prepared some questions to allow you to check in with others any day of the year.
However, this blog post is about you so I wanted to focus on you. We are taught so much about physical health – our parents train us to clean our teeth though what about our physiological health. Emotional Hygiene should be our #1 priority and here are 7 Power Tips & Reminders to get you back on track:
#1. Relax – Take time out. Sit in a park, go for a walk or read a book
#2. Self Care – Eat well and get active as physical and mental health go hand in hand
#3. Unplug – Take a night off from looking at anything with a screen
#4. Refresh – Get plenty of sleep and go to bed at a regular time
#5. Stretch yourself – Learn a new skill or take on a new challenge
#6. Connect with Others – Nurture your relationships as they are important
#7. Ask for help – Speak to a friend or visit a doctor.
Now pause and take a deep breath and please read these again! This is about making daily choices as it’s not what we know but what we do that gets results! Choose at least 1 to do for today!
For concerns about your or others mental health you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Steve Fearns is a Leadership Consultant and Life Strategist who assists teams, organisations and individuals to reach excellence in every area of their personal and professional life.
You can contact Steve on 0422 913955 or Steve@DoTheSteps.com
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