Stressing the point

But stress is more than just the occasional grumble. Last year 70 million working days were lost as a result of mental health issues, including stress.

To help combat this, stress management consultant Cath Lloyd is joining people across Britain to share coping techniques ahead of National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD).

Taking place on November 5, NSAD's aim is to make people more aware of the effects of stress and what techniques and help they can receive to make life easier to deal with. Cath knows more than most how important tackling stress head on is, having suffered with the disorder herself.

The 49-year-old from Pensnett said: "I never thought I would suffer from this condition but I did. It took me a long while to realise how unhappy I was and I felt silly because there didn't appear to be any particular reason why I felt this way.

"I had a great family, great kids, a great relationship with my husband, a good childhood and hugely supportive parents.

"But I spent a lot of time – years in fact – ignoring what was going on in my head and heart. My sister suffered from Anorexia Neurosis and my parents had struggles of their own. I didn't realise how much it had upset me over a long period of time."

Cath, who is also a teacher of social and life skills in a male prison, was working in that role when the pressure of life began to get on top of her.

"I had a young family that I always put first and a full time job which I loved. The job was demanding but I felt at the time that I wasn't being listened to. Everything just boiled over.

"I suppose it was when I was about 40 that I noticed changes in my body and I had to change my fitness regime because it had got to the stage that instead of feeling 40 I was feeling 80. I couldn't even roll over in bed without waking up with the pain.

"This fitness regime change worked and improved my wellbeing for a few years until one day a work colleague of mine realised what was going on.

"I was constantly tired, my body ached and I was very emotional. I wanted to cry all the time and could have slept around the clock. I felt that nobody cared about how I was feeling but that I had to carry on because everyone was depending on me.

"I felt silly that I was struggling to cope and I felt that I was just overreacting. Because of this, I didn't feel as if I could justify going to see the doctor about it.

"Eventually a work colleague noticed that I wasn't well and sent me home with strict instructions to go to the doctors, which I did, who signed me off work and got some counselling really quickly.

"After a couple of sessions I realised that I couldn't change other people but I could change how I reacted to them. I started to change my thinking processes by looking at how I wanted to be, how I was going to get there and the reasons why. This is when I started undertaking my life coaching training, to find a different direction with my career but also to help support myself."

After 20 years of teaching, Cath began sharing with others the tools and techniques to help them cope with the situations that cause them stress, be that in their working or personal lives.

In particular Cath shows people how to improve what isn't going well and how to take care of their own needs and goals. She does this through one-to-one coaching, online training and small group training. "I want to draw attention to this debilitating condition and let people know that they can move forward and make changes and improvements in their lives and their feelings.

"I'm concerned about young people because I worry that if they can't find their way out of their dark place, how will they be able to cope with the challenges of adulthood?"

Stress, she explains, is more common than ever, with everyday distractions such as the internet adding to the worry of things like work and family life.

"With more redundancies being made, the remaining workers have to pick up the extra work load, so there is going to be more stress. This is then coupled with the ever increasing pressures of performance related pay, perfect parenting or changes in family circumstances.

"There is also the ever increasing cost of living, greater expectations, single parenting and the costs of looking after our parents as they live to be older.

"A lot of the pressures are those that we put on ourselves, because generally we feel we are expected to be available to everyone at all times because of 24-hour social media and the expectation of the instant response.

"TV and the internet are available to us around the clock, so people are going to bed later. There are a lot of distractions that we allow into our lives."

To combat this Cath recommends that people think more about how they might be affected by stress, and seek help as soon as they can. "Going to your GP is a must as your visit will be recorded and they might have some good suggestions on coping. Dealing with stress is different for everyone, and counselling doesn't work for everyone.

"There are a lot of other therapies out there that help you to manage your state effectively. I would say keep an open mind, research the different therapies and connect with a support network because they will have a lot of good ideas.

"Sometimes your friends and family aren't able to support you because they don't know what to do, that's when a third party comes into play and you can truly open up. Be honest with yourself about how you are feeling. Acknowledge it and be kind to yourself. If you were your best friend how would you help them? What advice would you give them?"

For many people, speaking out about how they feel is an issue, something which Cath believes is down to the stigma attached to stress and a lack of understanding from people who are emotionally and mentally stronger.

Ahead of National Stress Awareness Day, Cath has planned a number of free webinars and interviews for those who have suffered stress. Taking place throughout the week, Cath hopes to raise awareness of stress, share techniques for managing it whilst giving people tools to help them become happier and more fulfilled in life.

"The sessions are not just for sufferers, but also for those who care for people with stress and for friends and family."

In addition, Cath is hoping to raise £3,000 for Young Minds – a charity which supports children, teenagers, parents and professionals who are dealing with the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

As she gears up for National Stress Awareness Day, Cath said: "For at least one day we can think about ourselves and other people and try and learn something new or help someone else."