Stress as 'fear for grown-ups'

I had an epiphany the moment I heard stress described in this way; as fear.

The fears and frightening worries we once had as children have now developed and manifest as all consuming modern day stresses, and these

stresses we carry with us are making us sick.

Stress surrounding an upcoming exam or work appraisal? Fear of failure.

Stress around a house move? Fear of being unsettled and the unfamiliar.

Stress around relationships? Fear of being alone.

Being a 'worrier' or an 'over-thinker' can feel inherent. But it doesn't have to be if we can change the way we view our fears. Next time you're stressed, recognise the knots or the butterflies in your belly. Not dissimilar to that feeling of trying to ride your bike for the first time or wondering what was under the bed when the lights go out. Right?

Next week is mental health awareness week and in honour of this, I ask you, next time stress creeps up, ask yourself what it is you're feeling fearful of. If we recognise fear in ourselves then it's far easier for rational thought to push through and shine a light on our fears and dispel the myths surrounding the stress. Not unlike when my dad used to put the light on and check under the bed for me!

Without the imagination fear brings, stress cannot thrive.

Laura x