A problem shared is a problem halved.

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances and it can be caused by both good and bad experiences. 

STRESS is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences.

When people feel stressed by something going on around them, our bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood. These chemicals give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger, commonly known as fight or flight where your body gives you a burst of energy or escape from the situation. 

But physical danger is not the only cause of stress. Some of the most common sources of stress are as follows:

Internal stress - Have you ever caught yourself worrying about things you can do nothing about or worrying for no reason at all? This is internal stress and it is one of the most important kinds to understand and manage. Internal stress is when people make themselves stressed. This often happens when we worry about things we can't control or put ourselves in situations we know will cause us stress. Some people become addicted to the kind of hurried, tense, lifestyle that results from being under stress. They even look for stressful situations and feel stress about things that aren't stressful.

Environmental stress - This is a response to things around you that cause stress, such as noise, crowding and pressure from work or family. Identifying these environmental stresses and learning to avoid them or deal with them will help lower your stress level.

Fatigue and overwork - This kind of stress builds up over a long time and can take a hard toll on your body. It can be caused by working too much or too hard at your job(s), school, or home. It can also be caused by not knowing how to manage your time well or how to take time out for rest and relaxation. This can be one of the hardest kinds of stress to avoid because many people feel this is out of their control. 

There are many common symptoms of stress and I list a few below:

• Making your heartbeat and breath faster
• Making you sweat more
• Leaving you with cold hands, feet, or skin
• Making you feel sick to your stomach or giving you “butterflies”
• Tightening your muscles or making you feel tense
• Leaving your mouth dry
• Making you have to go to the toilet frequently
• Increasing muscle spasms, headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath

Chronic stress or constant stress could disrupt nearly every system in your body. It can shut down your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, speed up the ageing process and leave you vulnerable to many mental and physical health problems.

A way to manage you stress is having a good support network of colleagues, friends and family which can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.

That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing.

There’s a solution to any problem and reaching out for support to find a solution could be easier than trying to solve the issue on your own.

A problem shared is a problem halved.