National Stress Awareness Day
Are you unemployed and stressed about how you are going to pay your bills? Are you a parent that has been forced to homeschool and ready to pull all your hair out? Are your kids misbehaving and you need a glass of wine at noon? There are thousands of reasons why we all have stress and need this day to relax.
National Stress Awareness Day is for you…for you to be selfish for once. It’s for you to do what you want to do that will reduce the stress and anxiety built up from the day to day work/life struggles. It’s a way for you to get the mental peace and serenity you need to prep for the next day. National Stress Awareness was created in 1992 by the Health Resource Network, their main goal was to make the public aware of the causes and cures of stress. Take a look at some of these statics.
According to The American Institute of Stress:
· About 33 percent of people report feeling extreme stress
· 77 percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health
· 73 percent of people have stress that impacts their mental health
· 48 percent of people have trouble sleeping because of stress
· 120,000 people die every year as a direct result of work-related stress
Unfortunately, for about half of all Americans, levels of stress are getting worse instead of better.
The Global Organization for Stress reports that:
· 75 percent of Americans experienced moderate to high-stress levels in the past month
· Stress is the number one health concern of high school students
· 80 percent of people feel stress at work
People who tend to experience particularly high rates of stress include:
· Ethnic minorities
· Women
· Single parents
· People responsible for their family’s health care decisions
There isn’t a good enough reason for any of us not to take better care of ourselves. Unfortunately, we do not take this silent killer as seriously as we should. Today, I encourage each of you to unwind, de-stress, take a sick day from work, set aside some time for yourself to ensure you are minimizing the stress you encounter every day.
Some basic things you can do to minimize your stress are; 1.) regular exercise actives the endorphins which are a chemical that activates your “feel good” emotion. 2.) Get an adequate amount of sleep, it recharges your body 3.) Meditate, it gives you the peace mentally you deserve.
Life is too short so find something that brings you joy and peace and do that today!
Sources:
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/stress/related/stress-statistics/#gref
(accessed 4/15/20)
American Psychological Association
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress/effects-cardiovascular#menu
(accessed 4/15/20)
https://www.stress.org/can-stress-make-you-sick-yes-mental-health-affects-physical-health