Focusing on stress and our own perception of health was interesting. Personally I have never really thought about my own stress levels. I tend to put others before myself.

As a student teacher it is vital that we understand that other people view things in a completely different way. How we see and feel things may be completely different to others around us. It is also important that we understand how children can experience stress too. There are certain ways that we can help ourselves and others manage stress.

Stress can have a serious affect on our health. It can lead to problems with our heart rate and digestive tract, it can also affect us mentally. We all have various ways of dealing with stress, for example, if I am really stressed I often feel myself close to tears but with support from my loved ones, I get to say out-load what my problem is and talk through the various ways that I can deal with it. I feel that in this country that lately there has been developments in the way that people view metal health and stress. It is important that we take away the stigma surrounding these issues and encourage the people around us to talk about their feelings and issues.

During today’s independent study I completed “The Holmes-Rahe Stress Calculator”. At the end of the test my score was 277. This was a higher number than what I thought I would get. While in my personal life there has been many negative points within the last year and a half there has also been many positives. Being a caring person, I would rather help someone else with their issues than focus on mine. While I realise this is not always a good thing, I know that I have people around me that I can go to for advice and guidance. Getting a score of 277 meant that I fell into the middle category for stress, according to “The Holmes-Rahe Stress Calculator” this implies that I have a “50% chance of a health breakdown in the next two years. I do tend to stress a lot and I understand it affects my health. I feel that I need to do more to combat my stress levels and I am working on doing this.

There are a lot of factors that can negatively affect our health. It is important that we recognise these in order to keep us both physically and mentally healthy.

5 factors are:

• Stress
• Life events/circumstances
• Economic circumstances
• Risk behaviours
• Loneliness

While there are various factors that affect our health, there are also methods that can support a healthy lifestyle:

• Exercise – It has been proven by many studies that regular exercise can help us feel more positive. It can help people who are struggling with stress, depression, body dysmorphic disorder and various other health complications. It can be a release for some people to help them cope with feelings and as we exercise we release endorphins that make us feel happy.
• Talking to people around us – If we have an issue or problem it can help to talk to someone. This can be friends, family, medical staff or a helpline such as Samaritans. By speaking about how we feel we can get relief as we have finally got it off our chest and said it out loud. Speaking to people also offers us the chance to talk about what to do next or how to combat the issue.
• Surrounding ourselves with positive people – By being around people that are positive, it offers a happier outlook on life and the struggles that we may face. Situations that may be lowering your mood can be looked at in a more optimistic way.
• Seeking professional advice and information – In todays’ world we are surrounded by information and many of us have easy access to the internet. Seeking advice on websites such as ‘NHS 24’ may reassure us about our health issues.
• Touch – offering someone a simple hug can make people feel a lot better. A simple hand on someone’s shoulder to say ‘everything is going to be okay’ can be all it takes to calm someone down.

If we realise what causes us stress, what we can do to combat it and how we can live a healthier lifestyle then we will be able to help the young people that we will be working with to do the same.