October Stress Buster Newsletter

Survive the stress of going back to school

The Summer is well and truly over, there is still a couple of months till Christmas, its getting colder and the days are becoming shorter. What's worse is that many of you may not have had a summer holiday due to the credit crunch. The kids have been back at school for a couple of weeks and undoubtbly feeling the stress and pressure that goes along with that.

All of this can cause stress and anxiety, and the key to ensuring things don't get too much is how you respond to what is going on.

We are happy to provide you our top tips to help you or your kids survive the stress of dealing with school related pressures and stress.

1. Avoid refined sugar products, they cannot calm you down.
   If you’re stressed keep well-hydrated by drinking water. Eating sweets and chocolate and having fizzy drinks are actually going to make you more stressed.
2. Work off stress with physical activity.
   Pressure or anger releases adrenaline in the body. Exercise helps to reduce it, and produces good mood substances in the brain. So go for a brisk walk around the block when you feel tense, and try some regular exercise. Kick a football around in the park after school rather than running home to jump on the Playstation.
3. Close your eyes and think up a self-affirming mantra to repeat to yourself.
   (e.g. "I can cope with all of the things I have to do, I am a winner, I am successful" etc). Repeat it to yourself whenever you feel tense or things get too much.
4. Get enough sleep.
   Sleep is essential for the body to function properly. If you’ve regularly skimped on sleep, you probably won’t even remember how it feels to wake up fully rested. Give it a go for a week and see if there’s a difference in how you perform during the day. The growing body needs sleep and you will find your ability to focus and concentrates massively diminishes when you haven’t had enough rest.On school nights you should aim to get to bed no later than 10pm – and tell your parents to stick to that rule too if they want to get maximum benefit from their sleep.

Remember it’s not what happens or all the different things that you have to deal with that drag you down, it’s how you respond to all that you are subjected to. Follow our tips and notice the difference in how you react and respond to things that normally get to you!

Career Shifters – how to have a happy healthy stress free career!

This month we teamed up with Careershifters.org to show you how to get a stressed-out career back into shape and what the secrets are to having a happy, healthy, stress-free career doing work that you love.

We've dedicated a whole webpage to a healthy, stress free career and the key 10 ingredients for this - 'Career Stress'. We also have a free e-book available to download through our website with valuable information on how to develop a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Careershifters offer a range of free and affordable guidance and support for anyone wanting to change career. It is run by a passionate team who have all made successful career changes themselves and are now helping others to do the same. They have just launched the brand new Careershifters Guide - the no-nonsense step-by-step guide to making a successful career change and are offering it at a special launch price of just £19 (normal price £25)!

>> We are pleased to make available a video that our Director Neil Shah has produced with Careershifters talking about howhe went from making millions to making a difference.

Technological breakthrough to reduce stress

Meno Stress

MENOSTRESS® uses two bio-magnets manufactured out of natural materials, and then gold plated. They work using auricular acupressure based on the principle of acupuncture but without piercing the skin. By being placed on a specific part of the ear for a specified amount of time (as explained in the instruction booklet with every product) it can significantly reduce stress and anxiety.

The pressure from the two bio-magnets stimulate a neurotransmitter which sends a message to the brain which releases endorphins to relieve the symptoms associated with stress such as: the frequent sensation of tiredness, difficulties in concentration, panic and anxiety attacks, irritation, disturbed sleep patterns, difficulties in expressing oneself .

Stress Assessment

After months of extensive testing we are pleased to launch our brand new Stress and Health Assessment programme and coaching tool.

The on-line Health Assessment tool is your opportunity to access:

• Detailed Fitness and Nutritional Advice
• Health Information Sheets
• Progress charts

As a special launch promotion we are able to offer 12 months access to the tool for half the usual cost for the first 500 subscribers only – an investment of just £9.97. Take control of your stress and achieve a state of wellbeing by signing up today!

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

Friday 9th October 2009 and Saturday 10th October 2009

Mental Health is on the increase, with many taking their own lives, or being admitted into psychiatric hospitals. It affects us all, worldwide.

There will be a number of events and activities taking place in October, so find out from your local councils what they will be doing this year for World Mental Health Day.

Our activities will be taking place in our home town of Harrow, West London - if you are able to get to Harrow on the 9th October and are interested in joining in our activities please contact dee@stress.org.uk.

We will be holding our stall outside of St George’s shopping centre, where we will be offering free hugs and giving you free advice so come and talk to us, and let us help you become stress free. Additionally, we will be holding regular workshops throughout the day at the Baptist Church so come and join us there. There will be lots of different activities taking place around Harrow throughout the day, not only by us but by many other organisations, and it would be a shame to miss out!!

>> Many people do not realise the importance of World Mental Health Day, so we have dedicated a whole page to it!

National Stress Awareness Day

This year National Stress Awareness Day is on 4th November. Are you aware of how stress impacts your company? According to theThe Health and Safety Executive:

1. one in five people suffers from workplace stress
2. stress is the number one reason for absence from work in the UK
3. 13.5 million working days are lost due to stress, at a cost of £3.7 billion.

Are you surprised at these statistics? Well, now is your chance to make sure you are aware of how stress impacts your organisation and take steps to tackle it. Download our free presentation on Managing workplace stress by clicking here.

We organise health and wellbeing days and can prepare many branded products to help measure and manage stress and this month we have a special offer running for organisations who would like to take part in National Stress Awareness Day.

For more information about our health and wellbeing days email us on: info@stress.org.uk or alternatively call us on: 0844 357 8629 for more information and prices.

For more information on our branded stress mood cards please visit www.stressmoodcards.com, email us on: info@stressmoodcards.com or alternatively call us on: 0844 357 8639 and we will be happy to assist you in providing you with the special offer prices we have available this month!

READER COMPETITION

We would like to congratulate the lucky winners of last month’s “Stress: The Essential Guide” book competition who were:

1. Barbara Lyon
2. Lisa McFarlane
3. Claire Sims
4. Elizabeth Inniss
5. Charles Joseph

Your book has been sent out to you, we hope you enjoy reading it! And, after the success of last month’s reader competition we have decided to run another competition to give a few lucky readers a chance to win another recently published book: “Insomnia: The Essential Guide”.

Insomnia can be very distressing, often leading to people under-performing at work and in their day-to-day activities, and having a range of physical and mental effects. Insomnia – The Essential Guide is an informative book which provides practical and medical advice to help sufferers get their inner clock back on track.

The book covers all aspects of insomnia; answering 'what is insomnia?' and explaining its causes. It offers friendly advice on where to go for medical help and the tests that are likely to be carried out. There are practical tips on how to make changes to your lifestyle and your bedroom, to help insomniacs get a better night’s sleep.

To have an opportunity to win this book, please email us your top idea to falling asleep quickly to stephanie@stress.org.uk by 16th October 2009 with ‘INSOMNIA GUIDE’ in the subject bar. Please be sure to include your name, telephone number and address. Good luck!

'Ask Dee-Stress'

Last month we had dozens of enquiries from stressed individuals, ranging from work issues, family issues, health issues and even relationships issues, which are all causing people stress.

If you have a question for ‘Dee Stress’ our resident stress expert, post your question and we will endeavour to reply as soon as we can. We will also publish anonymously a few questions in our next newsletter.

Below we have chosen a question that we thought would be useful to have answered for all our readers:

When I go to sleep at night lie in bed and my head is buzzing, with thoughts rushing around preventing me from sleeping. What can I do?

1. Finish your day quietly.
   A good night’s sleep only happens in the right environment, so for many people this means setting the scene correctly. Use the hour or two before bed to wind down properly and give an over-stimulated mind and body a chance of a good night’s sleep. Avoid things that make your mind race, like emails, books and TV programmes with an exciting story line. Instead find ways to relax and unwind.
2. Eat early.
   You will find it difficult to go to sleep if your body is still finishing another task, like digesting food.So don’t eat anything after 8pm if possible. Particularly limit stimulants such as sugar, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol or nicotine as these will stop you shutting down for sleep.
3. Avoid caffeine, and limit fluid consumption.
   Of course you probably know that caffeine is a stimulant that will keep you awake. But did you know that it takes around six to eight hours to be neutralised in the body? Avoid it from about 2pm to make sure it doesn’t affect your sleep patterns. You’ll find caffeine in coffee, tea, energy drinks, fizzy ‘soda’ drinks and chocolate. Instead switch to fruit tea, decaffeinated versions of your regular drinks or just plain water. And remember that a full bladder will wake you up during the night, so stop drinking at about two hours before you go to sleep to give your system time to expel any excess liquid.
4. Avoid vigorous exercise after a certain point.
   Exercise is very beneficial in stress management. It aids many bodily functions such as improving circulation and digestion, helps combat stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, and of course it tires you out which helps you sleep better. However exercising too near bedtime is counterproductive, causing the heart to pump harder and faster and raising the body’s core temperature. It would be hard to drift towards restful sleep in such a state. So steer clear of physical exercise in the hour before bed.
   The exception is sex which can lead to deep relaxation and sleep, particularly for men. This is due to a combination of the physical workout plus the cocktail of hormones released during intercourse and orgasm.

EVENTS DIARY

Feel Karma Stress Management Workshop

Saturday 24th October 2009 – 10am to 4pm

Single ticket price £149, price for 2 tickets £225.
REDUCED TO £99 IF BOOKED BY 19th OCTOBER.
Click here for details.

Feel Karma Self Hypnosis Workshop

Saturday 17th October – 10am to 4pm

Single ticket price, £169
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT - PAY £129 IF BOOKED BY 12th OCTOBER
Click here for details.

Survive the stress of caring for kids!

New date coming soon!
£29 per person or book with a friend for £50 and receive a free stress squeezer each.
Please call 0844 357 8639 or click here for more information.

Evening workshops

Feel Karma Stress Gym Workshop

Tuesday 13th October 2009 – 7pm – 9pm

SPECIAL OFFER - Now reduced from £59 to £39 per person or book with a friend and get it for £30 each.
Please call: 0844 357 8639 or click here for more information or to book.

NEW!! - Free Walk Innovation Walkshop

Monday 19th October 2009 - 6pm - 7.45pm

If you knew that you only had one month left to live, how would your priorities change? Come to our Walk Innovation Walkshop and we will help you to:

• Focus on what is working in your life – rather than what isn't
• Walk your talk – rather than sitting down and pondering things
• Meet inspiring, positive and happy people – who will pass on their gifts to you

SPECIAL PROMOTION! For one time only, this is a FREE workshop. For more information or to book please click here or call: 0844 357 8629.

Have a wonderful, stress-free month and look out for our next newsletter soon!

Love life and smile!

The Stress Management Society
info@stress.org.uk
http://www.stress.org.uk
http://www.feelkarma.com
http://www.stressmoodcards.com