April already? Copestone talk ‘Stress Awareness Month’

April is the month for recognising the importance of healthy stress-management. 

Stress – a word that conjures up feelings and reactions, usually negative ones. Stress – a word that can potentially be incredibly damaging, but stress is also a word that is arguably underestimated.

From tomorrow, it is Stress Awareness Month and our team at Copestone look at how managing stress, especially at work, can have positive outcomes. Because once stress takes over, it can have harmful, long-term effects on a person.

Controlled stress is managed

Stress can at times be a very productive feeling or tension. Some people actually work better under stress, as the adrenalin prompted by deadlines or last-minute meetings push people to feel motivated and proactive.

Stress, in a controlled situation, can light a flame that makes you start or complete those tasks you’ve been putting off, from spring cleaning your home when the in-laws are due over, to writing that movie script you’ve said you would finish during lockdown.

Stress is also the body’s chemical reaction when feeling threatened or under attack, which helps people flee bad situations, or defend themselves.

So, when managed and in healthy doses, stress can be positive and help you towards achieving your goals both at home and at work.

But stress can also be debilitating, and it can cause and aggravate health problems. And since stress is a normal part of human existence, nobody is immune to it. It’s vital to arm ourselves with knowledge so that when stress rears its ugly head and starts to take over, we know what to do and how to manage it.

We aren’t fools in April

Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.  

The last two years have arguably been the most challenging with what we faced in 2020 and 2021. Mental health charities and community services such as the Stress Management Society (SMS)  were overwhelmed by people that were (and still are) struggling and seeking support, not realising that stress had spiralled into severe mental health problems.

While stress at work is common, finding a low-stress job is hard. A more realistic approach is to adopt effective coping strategies to reduce stress at your current job.

Unmanaged stress causes more than just mental health issues – it can have significant physical health consequences that range from relatively benign, like getting more colds and flus, teeth clenching and headaches, to potentially serious, such as exhaustion, heart disease and high blood pressure. So it is imperative we understand the symptoms of uncontrolled stress and learn what to do if we start experiencing them.

Simply going for a walk, taking deep breaths and/or speaking to your employer or peers can help manage a day of stress. But if you are feeling high tension that is affecting your day-to-day life for over a week, it’s important to seek further help.

There is no ‘I’ in Copestone

There are no two days the same at the Copestone office. Some days are more stressful than others, so if any one of our team have stressful issues going on, in work or outside of work, it is sensed and addressed.

Our team at Copestone take pride in our culture. We do everything as a team, collaboratively, whether that be the work we produce or the ideas we share.

When challenges arise, or troubles are faced, the team’s empathy and consideration is present, making the working environment pleasant and calming. So all in all, it is a proactive place to work – even in times that are more demanding.

Remember, we can’t emphasize enough that feeling stress can lead to something more damaging in the long term. So if you are experiencing stress that you can’t manage, please do talk to someone, whether that be your employer, a friend or online help that is always available.  A healthy work, home and play balance will keep you in control to obtain healthy stress levels, keeping you motivated and positive.  

If you are involved in a business that encourages a strong, approachable team, or this blog has affected you in some way, feel free to contact us today. We are here to work closely with you to develop your content, marketing, and campaign plans, face-to-face or virtually, as well as recognising the importance of Stress Awareness Month.

If you need support to write engaging, audience-driven content for your B2B brand or agency, contact Copestone today.