Coping With Stress

It is well-known that too much pressure can give rise to symptoms of stress in any one of us. Each of us has different "breaking points", depending on our personalities and individual stress management strategies. Unfortunately, we are usually unaware of the causes of our stress and of the unhealthy symptoms, sometimes only noticed by those around us. We tend to carry on regardless, taking on more and more, in the mistaken belief that to acknowledge that things are getting too much is to admit "weakness".

The Symptoms of Stress

So it isn't unusual for "copers" to suddenly find themselves feeling very out of sorts and not knowing why. The symptoms of stress are many and varied; they may be physical or psychological, they may affect the way you feel and behave. Symptoms include:

Health Risks

There may be health risks involved too. The health problems listed below may be related to stress:

Stress management coaching is a preventive strategy. Through such coaching, with a suitably qualified and experienced practitioner, you can identify your potential pressure points and develop strategies and monitoring techniques to cope with stress and prevent stress-related symptoms from developing.

How Counselling Can Help

Stress counselling is an effective way of addressing stress when it has got out of control. This usually means that a person is experiencing some of the symptoms described above. They may have seen their GP, have been prescribed medication or been signed off work. Or they may be struggling to hide the problem, increasing the likelihood of a collapse.

A counsellor who has specialist knowledge of stress can help you take a bird's eye view of the problem and put things into a better perspective. S/he can target each symptom with a specific strategy aimed at redressing the balance, at the same time exploring techniques for preventing future relapse. A counsellor can also help you identify any underlying problems which may be contributing to your difficulties.