Well, they’d all like to know its International Stress Awareness Week in 2022 between 7-11 November. It was created in 2018 to raise awareness about stress prevention. It attracts media attention worldwide. The highlight is the ISMAUK Online Global Stress & Wellbeing Summit, on International Stress Awareness Day 9th November. The day’s programme will include world-class speakers, reflecting on the theme Working Together to Build Resilience and Reduce Stress. International Stress Awareness Week | ISMA Stress Management Association

Stress isn’t pleasant, but it is normal. It is a standard defence mechanism for survival. Defence mechanisms are unconscious strategies we have to protect ourselves from stressful thoughts or feelings, and aren’t inherently bad. They can allow us to navigate painful experiences or channel energy more productively, but they can become problematic when applied too frequently or for too long. Some of us seem to go through life without having much stress, whereas others walk around suffering from chronic anxiety. Studies have shown that certain genes are linked to specific anxiety traits. However, not all stress and anxiety is inherited.

Environmental factors also play a significant role in the development of stress. Stress is mostly situational in response to a present and real demand. For example, course work deadlines, children that need to be taken care of, the boss wanting more work done than usual. As we do what is needed to fulfil life’s demands, we feel stress in the present moment. This triggers a surge of stress hormones that produce physiological changes. The heart can pound our breathing quicken, muscles tense and beads of sweat appear – super quickly too. These physiological reactions to stress are also known as the "fight-or-flight" response because they evolved as survival mechanisms, enabling us to react quickly to life-threatening situations. The stress response begins in the brain, specifically the amygdala, which sends a message to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the control centre in the brain that communicates with the rest of the body via the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions like breathing, blood pressure, and heartbeat. The sympathetic nervous system is a branch of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the “fight or flight” response when we sense danger lurking. The hypothalamus sends signals throughout the body to release cortisol and epinephrine, resulting in immediate physiological reactions to stress. This cascade of events often happens before we stand a chance to process what’s happening. That's why we can jump out of the path of a moving vehicle, or duck from a low flying object before we can think about what we are doing or why.

The general rise in the burden of in almost every domain of modern life leads to uncertainty. Add in the array of economic and cultural shifts we are facing and we have a breeding ground for stress. University, work, fa mily issues, health concerns, and financial/environmental worries are parts of everyday life that commonly contribute to heightened stress levels.

Add in other important factors contributing to stress like the rise of social media/technology (which provides new opportunities for connecting people, but it also leads to new experiences of negative social comparison and new pathways for social exclusion) our over exposure to world events, or being too overprotect from stress when we are young, any trauma, childhood adversity, bullying, unhealthy relationships, and poverty and we find ourselves dealing with environmental factors that contribute to the development of stress. 

Stress differs from anxiety which is more often thought of as the anticipation of future threats. Clinical definitions of anxiety focus on the emotional distress surrounding a potential negative stimulus, not an immediate reaction to the stimulus itself. Anxiety tends to be about the future, and what might happen. It's a "fear or nervousness about life’s unforeseeable events.”

So back to stress, the key takeaway is that even the most stress resilient of us have opportunities to develop this most crucial skill and even those of us with high levels of resilience to stress can fall foul of it at times. But the good news is that our resilience to stress is not just a facet of our personality that we need to accept. Myth: Resilience is a trait. People either have it or they don’t. Fact: Resilience is not a trait; it is a learnt skill. Resilience is a capacity that involves behaviours, thoughts, and actions that can be learned by and developed in anyone. Being resilient involves tapping into your resources. As with what creates the stress, the elements that contribute to our resilience are incredibly diverse. Developing resilience can be achieved by when we explore a sense of optimism and self-compassion, social support networks, the strategies we use to manage emotions under pressure, how we tackle problems, how we plan, our values and perceived strengths, the impact of our levels of exercise, our environment, and physical practices (lifestyle choices that impact our bodies) and a sense of purpose and fulfilment. 

Finally, demonstrating resiliency doesn’t necessarily mean that you or others have not suffered difficulty or distress. It also doesn’t mean you or others haven’t experienced emotional pain or sadness. The road to resilience is often paved with emotional stress and strain. And its good for us to experience stress, just not to overdo it. We need enough to keep us interested and engaged in the world, but not so much that we are exhausted by it. 

If this article has made you question or consider your stress levels and you want to reduce your stress, you could consider trying some of these ideas below:

Let’s Get Physical

If you’re feeling stressed, moving your body on a consistent basis may help.

Many other studies have shown that engaging in physical activity helps reduce stress levels and improve mood, while sedentary behaviour may lead to increased stress, poor mood, and sleep disturbances

If you’re currently inactive, start with gentle activities such as walking or biking. Choosing an activity that you enjoy may help increase your chances of sticking to it in the long term.

Eat Healthily

Your diet affects every aspect of your health, including your mental health.

Being stressed may lead you to reach for highly palatable and quick to prepare foods and eat too much, which may harm your overall health and mood.

Plus, not eating enough nutrient-dense whole foods may increase your risk of deficiencies in nutrients that are essential for regulating stress and mood. Improving this in turn can improve your resilience to stress.

Reduce phone use and screen time 

While these devices are often necessary, using them too often may increase stress levels. Spending too much time in front of screens is associated with lower psychological well-being and increased stress levels and furthermore, screen time may negatively affect sleep, which may also lead to increased stress levels. Reducing the time you and your family are on these gadgets can improve your sleep and help relieve stress.

Practice self-care

Setting aside time to practice self-care may help reduce your stress levels. Practical examples include:

• going for a walk outside
• taking a bath
• lighting candles
• reading a good book
• getting a massage
• practicing a hobby
• using a diffuser with calming scents
• practicing yoga

Taking time for yourself is essential in order to live a healthy life. This is especially important for people who tend to be highly stressed. Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated. It simply means tending to your well-being and happiness.

Spend time with friends and family

Social support from friends and family may help you get through stressful times and cope with stress. Having a social support system is important for your overall mental health. If you’re feeling alone and don’t have friends or family to depend on, social support groups may help. You could join a club or sports team or volunteering for a cause that’s important to you can help our overall mental well-being.

Create boundaries and learn to say no

Not all stressors are within your control, but some are. Saying yes too often when your influenced to can increase your stress load and limit the amount of time you can spend on self-care. One way to do this may be to say “no” more often. Being selective about what you take on — and saying “no” to things that will unnecessarily add to your load — can reduce your stress levels. Creating and establishing healthy boundaries especially with people who add to your stress levels — is a healthy way to protect your well-being.

Learn to avoid procrastination

Procrastination may harm your productivity and leave you scrambling to catch up. This can cause stress, which negatively affects your health and sleep quality. If you find yourself procrastinating regularly, it may be helpful to get in the habit of making a to-do list organized by priority. Give yourself realistic deadlines and work your way down the list.

Work on the things that need to get done today and give yourself chunks of uninterrupted time. Switching between tasks or multitasking can be stressful in itself.

If you find yourself regularly procrastinating, staying on top of your to-do list may help ward off related stress.

Hug

Human touch may have a calming effect and help you better cope with stress. These types of contact may help release oxytocin and lower cortisol. In turn, these effects help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Both high blood pressure and increased heart rate are physical symptoms of stress. Interestingly, humans aren’t the only animals that cuddle for stress relief. Chimpanzees also cuddle friends that are stressed.

Positive touch from cuddling, hugging, kissing, and sex may help lower stress by releasing oxytocin and lowering blood pressure.

Spend time in nature

Spending more time outside may help reduce stress.

Studies show that spending time in green spaces such as parks and forests and being immersed in nature are healthy ways to manage

Even if you live in an urban area, you can seek out green spaces such as local parks, arboretums, and botanical gardens. Spending more time outside — whether at your local park or atop a mountain — may help reduce levels of stress and boost your mood.

Fuss your pet

Having a pet may help reduce stress and improve your mood.

Plus, studies show that pet owners — especially those who have dogs — tend to have greater life satisfaction, better self-esteem, reduced levels of loneliness and anxiety, and more positive moods.

Having a pet may also help relieve stress by giving you purpose, keeping you active, and providing companionship.

Here are 7 unusual, but effective, ways in which you can attempt to relieve your stress:

Drink orange juice

According to WebMD, high levels of vitamin C are said to physiologically reduce your stress levels. Not only will it taste delicious, but a glass or two of orange juice will therefore also make you feel less anxious.

Chew some gum

There are many benefits to chewing gum, and one of these benefits is lower stress levels. A 2008 study, led by Australian researcher Andrew Scholey, showed that chewing gum reduced the stress hormone cortisol in study participants. They reported feeling less stressed and more alert.

Phone a friend

Having someone to reach out to when you are feeling anxious can help you to calm down and get those rational thoughts flowing again. A 5-minute chat with your bestie can make all the difference in the world. When you talk about your emotions out loud, you allow your fears and anxiety to be released.

Eat something crunchy

This relieves physical tension and will make you feel more relaxed. So, to reduce your stress, try munching on crunchy snacks like carrots, nuts, or even crackers.

Have a good laugh

Laughing does wonders for your body. You will be surprised to know that a bit of laughter can lighten your load mentally and physically. Laughing can enhance your intake of oxygen, and it increases the endorphins that are released by your brain. These endorphins, in turn, stimulate your heart, lungs, and muscles.

Dance like nobody watching

Dancing to your favourite music will not only refresh your mind, but will instantly uplift your mood and make you feel a lot less stressed (especially if nobody’s watching!).