Hello, my name is Lisa and I blog over at http://passtheproseccoplease.co.uk. I’m a mum, wife, blogger and cheese addict. I write about parenthood and my battles with weight loss, chronic and mental illness. I swear too much. And talk about poo too much(not my own).
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1.)Do you suffer with stress frequently or occasionally?
Frequently – in my previous life(before parenthood) I had a fast-paced career and I travelled all over. I had everything I’d wanted – a good wage, a good team – but I was stressed and I ended up being signed off for most of my pregnancy due to stress. It’s something that’s always there, lurking…
2.)What sort of things cause you stress?
Anything and everything – I suffer from anxiety and I seem to get stressed about the smallest of things, from burning the dinner to mum guilt. Mum guilt is a huge one!
3.)Does anything in particular make stress worse for you?
I make my stress worse – I over-think things and feel guilty that I’m stressed, which makes it worse. Lack of understanding has always been a problem – people just don’t recognise that stress can make you feel really poorly.
4.)Does stress have an impact on your physical health?
Big time – stress plays havoc with my stomach and also is a migraine trigger. I’ve been so bad in the past that my periods have stopped due to stress.
5.)What do you do to alleviate stress?
Most nights I practically boil myself alive in a lovely bubbly bath; I usually read or just light a smelly candle and close my eyes for a while. I also write – my blog started as a way to vent my thoughts and feelings and I still write almost daily now, even if I don’t publish it all.
6.)Do you think more needs to be done to raise awareness of what causes stress and the impact it has on us and those around us? If yes, what would you do or like to see done?
Yes, absolutely, definitely – people have no idea that stress can cause physical and emotional harm and it’s so important to be aware of your own limits and that of those around you – a manager in a previous job took me to one side, made me a cup of tea and suggested I might be stressed and I’d had no idea that I could be stressed. Workplaces, medical environments, all environments to be honest – should all have a more informal approach to stress and hopefully it would become less of the elephant in the room.
7.)Do you have any tips for anyone dealing with stress?
Relax – when I get stressed I’m a mess and it feels like life is going so fast I can’t keep up. Be kind to yourself – take a break, breathe slowly, have a cup of tea(always tea, typical Brit) and if you want to talk, talk to someone. If you feel like you can’t cope then please speak to your GP or a friend – it’s nothing to be ashamed of, you aren’t alone 🙂
