Held annually since 1992, April is Stress Awareness Month. This year, the theme is community.
In this blog, we are going to look briefly at stress and the effect it has on our mental and physical health, before delving into the importance of community in managing our stress levels.
Stress is not typically classed as a mental health diagnosis; however, it can contribute to certain mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression, or it can be a symptom of a mental health condition.
Stress is a reaction to feeling threatened or under a lot of pressure. It is a natural response and can be helpful in small amounts to motivate us to complete tasks. However, chronic stress (stress that occurs for a prolonged period of time) or very high levels of stress (acute stress) can affect not just our mental health but our physical health too.
Read more on how stress can affect our mental health.
Everyone may experience different symptoms and various severities when it comes to stress. It is important to manage our stress levels to avoid it negatively impacting our health. Read our top 7 tips on managing stress.
In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on all of our lives, and research has shown that it has caused an increase in overall stress levels across the UK. As a result of this, it is currently more important than ever that we practice ways to manage and reduce our stress levels, in particular to combat chronic stress.
The Stress Management Society and Huawei AppGallery conducted a study at the beginning of 2021 on 2,000 British adults, and found that:
Based on these findings, the theme for Stress Awareness Month 2021 was “regain connection, certainty and control”. This theme focused on how we can rebuild lost connections and aim to feel a little more in control in some areas of our lives in the hope of reducing these additional feelings of stress, anxiety and uncertainty.
Thanks to the underlying research, the Stress Management Society were able to create effective, tailored resources to help with reconnecting and these are still accessible here.
This year’s theme of community expands on the idea of reconnecting and rekindling our relationships and interactions.
Stress.org.uk state: “This year our theme for Stress Awareness Month is Community. We have chosen this theme because lack of support can cause loneliness and isolation, which in turn lowers people’s wellbeing, impacts mental health, and can lead to mental illness. Social isolation is an important risk factor for both deteriorating mental health and suicide.”
Now more than ever, thanks to the challenges of the last two years, we understand the importance of community. The pandemic severely disrupted our sense of community, until we began to adapt and find new ways to connect, and our community spirit went from strength to strength.
From the Thursday night “Clap for Carers” to neighbours offering to do each other’s shopping, to strangers donating their time or belongings to help the most vulnerable members of our communities, people across the country adapted to find their own sense of community.
In adversity we saw the amazing things that could be achieved thanks to our communities working together.
A community is defined in the dictionary as “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common”, or “the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common”.
But more than simply where you live or what you like to do, communities provide a sense of belonging and social connection. Being part of a community reduces feelings of loneliness, and we know that loneliness has a negative effect on our mental health.
The social aspect of a community is beneficial to reducing our stress levels. Chatting with others can temporarily distract your mind from your worries. You may have trusted people within your community who you can talk through your worries and stresses with, and this can provide a different perspective, offer clarity, and decrease your stress levels.
This review article (Fatih Ozbay et al., 2007) analyses a selection of key research around social support and resilience to stress, and concludes that poor social support is detrimental to our health.
There are additional external factors than can impact our stress levels including environmental and genetic influences, however good social support can help mitigate the effects of these factors on our stress levels.
A study by Kaufman et al., 2006 looked at a link between genetic and environmental factors and the impact of social support. Based on the data collected, they concluded that social supports can provide protection against genetic and environmental risk factors for psychopathology.
After looking at the benefits of community and the effects it can have on our stress levels, you may be wondering how you can get involved.
In modern day, the good news is that finding and joining a community in your local area can be as easy as a quick Google or Facebook search! You can find online communities or local groups that meet face to face.
Another great opportunity to join a community is by volunteering – not only will this provide a community of like-minded volunteers with similar interests, but working together as a team to achieve an outcome to benefit others is a rewarding and fulfilling activity that can be a distraction from our day-to-day stresses.
If you’re already part of some local or national communities, why not use this month to reflect on the benefits that these communities provide for your mental and physical health?
For Stress Awareness Month 2022, the Stress Management Society has created a range of resources and ideas that you can utilise, including a stress-relief colouring book, a digital detox checklist, a daily de-stressing planner and a selection of videos.
For more resources, advice, and information on stress, check out the NHS page on stress.
References
A study on the impact of stress and mental health as a result of the pandemic, The Stress Management Society and Huawei AppGallery, 2021.
Social Support and Resilience to Stress, Fatih Ozbay et al., 2007.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-5-HTTLPR gene interactions and environmental modifiers of depression in children, Joan Kaufman et al., 2006.
Photo by Kylie Lugo on Unsplash.
