TAME YOUR TRIGGERS

Understand what upsets you and you'll uncover the key to a calmer life, writes Yasmina Floyer

- Yasmina Floyer

Most of us will have heard the adage that stress is a killer. I took this for hyperbole growing up, thinking it was simply one of those meaningless things that grown-ups said like, 'drink more water' and 'go to bed earlier', though being a grown-up now myself, I can finally see the sense in all of this acquired wisdom. Whereas once upon a time I saw being stressed as a badge of honour due to its connotations of ambition, hard work and success, we now know that whilst stress itself won't send you to an early grave, the effects of prolonged stress can negatively impact our physical and mental wellbeing causing a range of issues for us to deal with. I remember a biology teacher explaining to me that stress is characterised by feeling out of control and this is something that stuck with me. I now use this distinction as a means to determine whether I am feeling under pressure (not pleasant but feeling very much in control) or stressed (feeling out of control of my circumstances).

A recent study conducted by The Priory Group reported that '75% of adults have felt so stressed at some point over the past year that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.' Stress is defined by The World Health Organisation as a state of mental worry or tension that comes with a range of accompanying symptoms such as anxiety, headaches, and trouble sleeping to name a few, highlighting that not all people respond to stress in the same way.