G187 Coping With Stress

8/3/2019 G187 Coping With Stress

1/84

Coping with stressHow to manage stress and help your heart


2/84

Stress and your heart health

Everyday lie brings with it challenges andunexpected events. These situations cansometimes be described as stressul. Mosto us have experienced a level o stress atsome time or other in our lives. Stress isa normal part o everyday lie.

But one persons experience o stress can be another persons

relaxation. Some people thrive on stress, while others nd it dicult

to cope with. How you deal with stressul situations can have a

signicant impact on your heart health, and your general health too.

The inormation, practical tips, quizzes and action points in this

booklet will help you understand more about stress and how it

could aect your heart health, and what you can do about it.

The booklet looks at:

how stress can aect your heart

how to nd your key stress points the areas o your lie that

are most stressul or you

how to recognise when you are eeling stressed

how some people deal with stress

how to plan what you can do about stress, and

where to go or more inormation and help.

As a leading provider o Group Protection policies or employers, Legal & General

is pleased to support this booklet. For more inormation on Legal & Generals

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, please see page 79.

For more inormation on Group Protection policies and services, please call

0845 072 0751 or email [email protected]


3/84

1

ContentsWhat is stress? 3

How stressed are people in the UK? 5How is stress linked to heart disease? 7

When and how could stress be harmul? 8

How does stress aect the risk o getting heart disease? 13

Stress and health or people who have heart problems 24

Depression, stress and heart disease 27

What makes you stressed? 31

Work 32

Money problems 34Relationships 34

Major lie events 35

Time pressure

Loneliness and social isolation 35

How stressed are you? 37

Not sure i youre stressed? 39

Quiz Am I stressed? 42

Keep a diary 45

What can you do about stress? 51

Avoid the sources o your stress 52

Change how you respond to stressul situations 53

Make changes to your liestyle to help reduce the eects

o stress on your body 55

Plan your stress-busting activities or the week 65

The stress chain

Getting help 70

Where to go or more inormation 72

How the British Heart Foundation can help you 74

Index 80

Contents


4/84


5/84

3What is stress?

What is stress?

Stress is a normal part o lie and weall experience it rom time to time.Day-to-day rustrations like trac jamsor noisy neighbours, as well as signicantlie changes like moving house or beingmade redundant, or long-term situationssuch as constant nancial worries orunemployment, can all contribute toour stress levels.


6/84

The term stress is used to describe the state you maysometimes experience when everything seems toomuch. You may eel overloaded and unable to meetall the demands placed on you. For example, you may

have to juggle the demands o your job and amilyresponsibilities as well as looking ater an elderly parent orsomeone with a long-term illness, making it all too much.

There are some positive aspects to stress. The rightamount o pressure may make you eel energetic andable to change up a gear when necessary. But toomuch stress, or stress which lasts too long, can lead to

emotional, psychological and even physical problems.

It is not unusual to eel pressure both at work and athome. But excessive pressure can lead to a build-upo stress which can make us less ecient and poor atmaking decisions, and could lead to ill health.

Everyone nds dierent things stressul and canexperience dierent signs and symptoms as a result.

How you cope with pressure is aected by manyactors, including how much support is available romthose around you, and your personal coping

strategies. Some people nd certain stressulsituations exhilarating, and may actually thrive on theexcitement that comes with high-risk activities.

There is an optimum point where you haveenough pressure to perorm, but not so much that youget overloaded. Everyones optimum point is dierent,and learning where yours is can be important inhelping you to manage your own stress levels.


7/84

5What is stress?

How stressed are people in the UK?

Research shows that one in our people in the UK

will suer some kind o mental health problem inthe course o a year. Most o these people suer romanxiety and depression, much o it stress-related.Most report that they worry constantly, or worry abouta lot o things, leading to sleepless nights, poor eatinghabits and oten to higher alcohol consumption.

All these things can have a proound impact onhealth and wellbeing. Stress-related conditions arenow the most common reported cause o sicknessabsence rom work in the UK (see pages 3233).


8/84


9/84

7How is stress linked to heart disease?

How is stress linked toheart disease?

The natural response to a physical threatis known as the ght or ight response.Your body reacts to the threat by releasinghormones, such as adrenaline, which

prepare your body to respond to thethreat or challenge, either by ghtingor running away.

Fats and sugars are released into theblood to provide us with the extra energy

we may need to respond to the challenge.Your muscles tense ready or action andyour heart beats aster to carry blood tothe muscles and the brain where it is mostneeded. You then breathe aster, sweat

more and your mouth becomes dry.


10/84

When and how couldstress be harmul?

Our bodies oten react to emotional stress in just

the same way as i we are aced with a physical threat.You may be having a heated disagreement in a shopover some aulty goods, but your body may eel asi you are having a lie-and-death struggle witha wild animal.

Circumstances and general pressures o lie can leadto a build-up o stress. I the level o stress becomesunmanageable, it can lead to unhealthy liestylebehaviours that could be damaging to your hearthealth. For example, you may eel that, in order tocope, you smoke or drink more, eat unhealthy oodas a orm o comort, or take medication. (We explainmore about these on pages 1323.) Stress can also

have unwanted physical and emotional eects andmake us eel drained or unwell.

To understand how stress can aect your heart, ithelps to know what coronary heart disease is andwhat increases the risk o getting the disease. SeeWhat is coronary heart disease? below.


11/84


What is coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease occurs when the coronary

arteries the arteries that bring oxygen-rich blood toyour heart muscle become blocked or narrowedbecause o atty deposits called atheroma.

Angina is the discomort that occurs when your heartdoes not get enough blood and oxygen, because thecoronary arteries have become narrowed. An angina

attack can be brought on by physical activity oremotional stress, or it can sometimes happen whenyou are resting.

I a piece o atheroma in the wall o a coronary arterywall cracks, a blood clot orms to try to heal the area.This blood clot may block the coronary artery, causingpart o the heart to be starved o oxygen-rich blood.This is a heart attack.


12/84


13/84


What increases the risk ogetting heart disease?

There are several risk actors that increase the risko getting coronary heart disease. (A risk actor issomething which increases your chance o getting thedisease.) There are some risk actors or heart diseasethat you can do something about, and some thatyou cannot change.

The risk actors or heart disease that you cando something about are:

smoking

high blood pressure

high cholesterol

being physically inactive

being overweight, and

having diabetes.

The risk actors you cant change include:

having a amily history o premature heart disease

ethnic origin age, and

gender.


14/84


15/84


How does stress aect the risko getting heart disease?

There are many theories on how stress could berelated to and increase the risk o getting coronaryheart disease. The research does not show a directlink between stress and heart disease, but it hasidentied how stress can have an impact on therisk actors or the disease such as high bloodpressure, high cholesterol levels, being overweightand being inactive.

Also, some research studies have suggested thatstressul situations lead to the release o hormonesthat encourage the ormation o clots in the blood.


16/84

High blood pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) increases your risko developing coronary heart disease, having a strokeor having kidney disease. The cause o most high

blood pressure is not clear, but the ollowing can allcontribute: being overweight, eating too much salt,drinking too much alcohol, and physical inactivity.

Stress and high blood pressure

Being in a pressured environment can make your bloodpressure go up. This is a normal response and your

blood pressure should return to a normal level oncethe situation is resolved. Things that cause prolongedpressure like nancial worries or strain at work maycontribute to longer-term high blood pressure.

Managing your stress levels will not prevent you romgetting high blood pressure. However, how you cope

and deal with the added stress can have either apositive or negative eect on your stress and bloodpressure levels. For example:

A positive eect: Doing some orm o physicalactivity such as going or a brisk walk, or going tothe gym can help to relieve the stress and lower

your blood pressure.A negative eect: Smoking or drinking more, orcomort eating, may eel like temporary stress-relievingactivities, but in the long term these will have a negativeimpact on your general health and your heart health too.


17/84


High cholesterol

Cholesterol plays a vital role in how the cells in our

body unction. But too much cholesterol in the bloodincreases the risk o getting heart disease.

There are two types o cholesterol:

LDL (low density lipoproteins) is the harmul type ocholesterol. This is sometimes called LDL cholesterol.

HDL (high density lipoproteins) is a protective type

o cholesterol. It is sometimes called HDL cholesterol.

The goal is to have a low level o LDL and a highlevel o HDL cholesterol.

The most common cause o high LDL blood

cholesterol levels in the UK is eating too much at,especially saturated at. Not being physically activecan also play a part. Occasionally, people can havehigh levels due to an inherited condition.

Stress and cholesterol

There is evidence that, or some people, stress can have

an impact on their cholesterol levels. However, moreresearch is needed to understand the relationshipbetween stress and the rise in cholesterol levels.


18/84

Diabetes

Currently, 2.4 million people in the UK have beendiagnosed with diabetes but it is estimated that by2015 that gure will have increased to between

3 and 4 million.

Having diabetes increases your risk o getting heartdisease, so it is important to understand what yourrisk o getting diabetes is and do what you can toavoid getting it. I you already have diabetes,controlling your blood sugar will help to reduce your

risk o getting heart disease. For more on diabetes,see our booklet Diabetes and your heart.

Stress and diabetes

Stressul experiences such as divorce or workplacestress can increase the risk o getting diabetes,especially or people who may already have a amily

history o diabetes. Some studies show that men whosuer rom stress are twice as likely to developdiabetes, while women with high stress levels are notat higher risk. Stress may also have an eect on howwell diabetes can be controlled.


19/84


Being overweight

Being overweight is not only a risk actor or heart

disease, but also increases your risk o gettingdiabetes and some cancers.

Keeping to a healthy weight, or losing weighti youre overweight, can:

lower blood pressure

help to control blood sugar levels which is

particularly important or people with diabetes control blood cholesterol levels, and

ease lower back pain and joint pain.

An eective way to manage weight is to combineregular physical activity with healthy eating habits.

Stress and weight

When you are under stress, your body releases highlevels o a hormone called cortisol, which leads tostrong ood cravings, especially or high-sugar andhigh-at oods. Eating these oods helps release

serotonin, which is known to lit your mood. However,cortisol is also associated with an increase in depositso at in the area o the abdomen.

You may nd that you cope with stress by over-eatingor comort eating. This is only a temporary solution torelieve stress, and can lead to weight gain andincrease the risk o getting type 2 diabetes andcoronary heart disease.


20/84

Smoking

Smoking is a major risk actor or coronary heartdisease. Smokers have nearly twice the risk ohaving a heart attack compared with those who

have never smoked. Recreational tobacco smoking,such as shisha smoking, can have the same harmuleects as smoking cigarettes or a pipe.


21/84


Stress and smoking

Do you smoke to help ease the eelings o stress? Youmay think smoking helps you to relax and cope with

the added pressure. But in act thats not the case. Whenyou inhale the smoke, a dose o nicotine reaches thebrain very quickly and gives you a rush o adrenaline,making you eel good.

At rst, nicotine can improve your mood andconcentration, help to decrease eelings o anger

and stress, relax your muscles and reduce your appetite.However, these positive eects are only temporary,and when they wear o you can experience withdrawalsymptoms like irritation and a build-up o tension.

Your brain interprets these symptoms as stress,and so you will eel the need or another cigarette. Also,it can be stressul trying to make time and nd places tosmoke, especially now that all public places in the UKare smoke-ree.

Stopping smoking is probably one o the singlemost important things that you can do to protectyour heart health, but this may be even more dicultin periods o increased stress. Knowing what triggers

your need or a cigarette can help you to make sure youdont increase the number o cigarettes that you smokeat dicult times. For help with stopping smoking, seeour booklet Stop smoking, or phone a stop-smokinghelpline (see page 72).


22/84

Being inactive

People who are physically inactive have twice therisk o developing coronary heart diseasecompared with people who are regularly active.

Physical activity can help you to lose weight, controlhigh blood pressure and increase HDL cholesterol (thegood type o cholesterol), and it can help controlconditions such as diabetes.


23/84


Stress and physical activity

Feeling under pressure or stressed can lead to aeeling o lethargy and lack o desire to take part in

physical activity. However, research shows that regularphysical activity can

help reduce stress

lit your mood

give you a sense o wellbeing

help you sleep better, and

give you more energy.

It does not take a long time or you to eel thesepositive eects and they can oten happenimmediately.This will help to encourage you toinclude physical activity as part o your everyday lie.

Physical activity releases endorphins the eel goodhormones so it can oten help to improve yourmental wellbeing. Both aerobic activity (like briskwalking, running or cycling) and resistance activity(such as using weights in the gym) have been shownto help people with depression. Being physicallyactive can improve your mood and help you to

control your weight.

Al h l


24/84

Alcohol

Excessive alcohol drinking can lead to high bloodpressure. Also, alcohol has little nutritional value andcontains lots o calories, which can lead to weight gain.

Stress and alcohol

Some people drink alcohol as a means o coping witha range o problems including money worries, workstress, and relationship problems. They are more likely todo this when other orms o social support are missing.

Depression

There is growing evidence o a link betweendepression and heart disease, with people who havedepression being more likely to develop heartproblems. For more about depression, stress and

heart disease, see pages 2729.Remember that the way you cope with prolongedstress can have an eect on your liestyle suchas the amount you smoke, your level o physicalactivity, and what you eat and drink and coulddamage your general health and increase yourrisk o getting coronary heart disease.


25/84


Action points Look at the risk actors on page 11 and count up

how many apply to you. Identiy which ones youcan do something about and set yoursel somerealistic goals to tackle them. You could ask yourpractice nurse to help you with this.

To help improve your cholesterol levels, have abalanced diet thats low in saturated at and high inruit and vegetables, and do regular physical activity.

I you smoke, you can get help with stoppingsmoking. Ask your GP or pharmacist, or visit ourwebsite, bh.org.uk

Keep to the recommended levels or alcohol (seepage 58).

I you are over 40 years old, ask your GP or acardiovascular risk assessment. This is a heart healthcheck that gives you valuable inormation aboutyour risk actors or heart disease and on what youcan do to keep your heart healthy.

Think about whether stress may be causing youto lead a liestyle that is increasing your risk o heart

disease. For example, when you are stressed, doyou nd that you smoke more, or eat unhealthycomort oods?

See pages 5169 or inormation on how to cope with stress.

For more inormation on how to keep your heart healthy, see our

booklet Keep your heart healthy.

Stress and health or people


26/84

Stress and health or peoplewho have heart problems

Being unwell can be stressul, as it can aect yourperormance and moods. I you have been diagnosedwith heart disease, or i you have had a heart attackor heart surgery, you may eel a bit low, worriedor rightened.

You may be concerned about going back to work,supporting your amily, or doing things you enjoyedbeore your heart attack or surgery. You may also be

concerned about having another heart attack.

All o these are common concerns. For moreinormation about lie ater a heart attack, see ourDVD Looking forward, and our booklets Heart surgery,Heart attackand Cardiac rehabilitation.


27/84


Your cardiac rehabilitation nurse or GP can give youadvice and reassurance. They can help make yourreturn to lie outside hospital as stress-ree as possible.

You can also call the British Heart Foundationscondential Heart HelpLine on 0300 330 3311 i youneed inormation on heart disease and how toimprove your liestyle.

For some people who have coronary heart disease(people who have angina, or who have had a heart

attack), extreme stress can trigger an anginaattack or, very rarely, a heart attack.

However, it is not true that you should avoid all stressin uture in case it causes another heart attack. Thismistaken belie may make people over-protective

towards you or example, stopping you rom doingany orm o physical activity. It is important toremember that some stress in lie is positive,particularly i it allows you to do activities that youenjoy. You may nd that boredom is as stressul ashaving too much to do! Talk to your GP or cardiacrehabilitation nurse about any concerns you have

and or advice on the best sorts o activities or you.


28/84

When I was told Id have to be on heart

medication or the rest o my lie I got verydepressed. It was a constant reminder omy illness. But talking to a ellow patientmade me understand that the medicationwas there to help me, and that I couldmove orward and have a good lie. It tooktime though. At rst I couldnt tell my

partner how I elt and I lost my appetite.Then, with help rom the cardiac rehabteam and a BHF Nurse who visited me Ibegan to eel much better about things.

I know some people can get depressedbecause o the stress in their lives, and I

think women today get stressed becausetheyre oten under pressure rom workingand being a Mum. We need to think aboutourselves too. Ater all, i you dont haveyour health, what do you have?


29/84


Depression, stress andheart disease

Depression is caused by chemical changes in the brainand may be linked to a number o actors: long-termstressul situations; personal actors such as amily orwork problems; having a traumatic or unexpectedevent such as a heart attack; having a amily memberwith a disability; or developing a long-term illness.Stress and depression are sometimes linked, but stress

does not always result in depression, and stress is notthe only cause o depression.

Depression can lead to unhealthy behaviours, suchas comort eating or loss o appetite, lack o motivation,and lethargy leading to decreased physical activity. Itcan also aect recovery rom recent surgery or rom

a heart attack.


30/84


31/84

How is stress linked to heart disease? 29

Physical activity is known to reduce symptoms odepression. I you experience depression, increasingthe amount o physical activity you do may help to

improve your mental health and your rate o recoveryater a heart attack or heart surgery, and may improveyour heart health too.

Some o the symptoms o anxiety or depression may besimilar to those or stress (see pages 4041). However, iyou have experienced some o the ollowing symptomsor most o the day, every day or more than two weeks,you should seek help rom your GP:

sleep problems

appetite or weight changes

loss o interest in daily activities

eelings o helplessness and hopelessness

loss o energy

eeling worthless

diculty concentrating.

Your GP may be able to help you to identiy thingsthat are causing undue pressure in your lie. He or she

may reer you to a counsellor, psychologist orpsychiatrist. You may need medication to help youdeal with your situation. Any orm o depression canbecome a serious health problem and should notbe ignored. I you eel that your situation is such thatyou are overwhelmed or unable to cope witheveryday lie, you should seek help (see pages 7071).


32/84

I used to sell health club memberships,but, ironically, with all the pressure tomeet unrealistic targets, it ended up

being bad or my health. I always wasa worrier, and instead o dealing withthe stress, I just tried to live with it.I wasnt thinking about my diet, ateunhealthy ood and went to smokybars in the evening.

Its much better now in my new jobI still have deadlines, but theres lesspressure. I still get stressed, but Iveound ways o coping with it. I swimregularly, relax by listening to classicalmusic, meditate twice a day and takemuch more care about what I ameating - I eel so much better. I visualisehaving radiant health every day. Youneed to take time to think about thethings that help you take it easy and then enjoy them!


33/84

31What makes you stressed?

What makes you stressed?Few o us go through lie without any

stress. Thinking about which areas o yourlie are most stressul is the rst step tonding ways o coping with them betteror avoiding them altogether.

Most people can cope with periods o stress that last

only or a short time. Stress over a long period can bemuch harder to deal with, and is more likely to lead tounhealthy behaviours that increase the risk o gettingcoronary heart disease and other health problems.

The most common situations causing stress are listedbelow. Sometimes there are no obvious causes.

The most common causes o stress:

Work

Money problems

Relationships either between two people or

within a amily Major lie events and upheavals like getting married,

divorce or separation, unemployment, movinghouse or bereavement

Time pressure

Loneliness and social isolation.

Work


34/84

Hal a million people in the UK believe that work-relatedstress is making them ill. Research has shown that youare more likely to eel stressed when you eel you have

little control over your work, but have a lot o demandsplaced on you. Other research has shown that peoplewho do manual jobs are more likely to eel that theyare in a stressul situation than people who donon-manual jobs.

Although you may not be able to change the

nature o your job, you can take steps to managestress both at work and at home. Work may be acause o stress, or it may be the place where yourstress shows up.


35/84


Signs and symptoms o stress at work can include:

poor work perormance

lack o concentration

eeling tired, or

taking lots o sick leave.

One in ve people in the UK eels very or extremelystressed by their work. Over hal say their jobs aregetting more stressul and that work is overtaking

their home lives.Stress-related conditions are now the mostcommon reported cause o sickness absencerom work in the UK.

It is estimated that about 13.4 million working daysare lost each year through anxiety and stress-relatedconditions, and stress-related illness costs employersin Great Britain more than 3.7 billion a year.

Employers are required by law to manage theworkplace environment to reduce stress levels andlook ater the wellbeing o their employees. I you areeeling very stressed at or by work, talk to your

manager. Your employer may be able to provideopportunities or you to develop some skills to helpyou cope with stress such as relaxation,assertiveness or time-management skills.

You may also be able to get support through inormalchannels or example, talking to a sympathetic

colleague or a riend about workplace stress.

Money problems


36/84

Money problems can cause high levels o stress anddepression. They can cause relationships to break up,people to lose their homes, and amilies to split up

all o which are additional sources o stress.It is important to get advice on controlling debt earlyon, beore problems become overwhelming. For helpand advice, contact the Governments NationalDebtline on 0808 808 4000. A Citizens Advicebureau can advise you about the options available ordealing with any nancial or housing problems. (Lookthem up in your local phone book.)

RelationshipsRelationships with your partner, children, parents,riends, neighbours or work colleagues dont always

run smoothly, and can be the cause o considerablestress. I you dont have someone you can condein and trust, this can add to any stress you areexperiencing. And i you are having problems in onearea o your lie, it can put a strain on your relationshipswith everyone else.

Whatever the problem with a relationship, the rststep towards dealing with it is to acknowledge it andtry to work things through together. Try to talkthrough the issues, stay positive, look at what you cando to improve things, and accept that some things areoutside your control. Reect on your choices.


37/84


Major lie eventsAny major lie change can be stressul. Stress may betriggered by unexpected events like losing a job,

bereavement or illness, divorce or separation, or byplanned changes such as getting married, movinghouse or having a baby (which is not always planned).

How you deal with the event will depend on howprepared you were or it, how long it lasts, and howmuch support you have. Sometimes several lie

events happen at once and this can tip your balancerom being moderately stressed to being unable tocope. Where possible, avoid taking on too manypotentially stressul situations at once.

Time pressure

Be realistic about what you can achieve, learn to sayNo, and prioritise. See Manage your time on page63. Making time or leisure, exercise and holidays isjust as essential as spending time on the things wehave to get done at home or at work.

Loneliness and social isolationLoneliness and social isolation are major causes ostress, particularly or older people. Loneliness hasbeen shown to aect health and mental wellbeing.People who are lonely are more likely to nd everydayexperiences more stressul and at the same time they

get less support rom others to cope with this stress.


38/84

I looked ater my Mum, who hadParkinsons Disease, or ten years.It was worrying, o course, andsometimes it was dicult to teverything into a day but I thought I

could just take it all in my stride. AterMum died, I had two heart attacks andit was my cardiac rehabilitation nurse,Bev, who taught me not to bottleeverything up to let go and have agood weep to let all the stress out.

I hadnt realised how much I had beendealing with looking ater my mother.Talking to someone, having relaxinghobbies, and being active help. I loveto walk in the mountains on myholidays - theres nothing like it toblow away your cares.

H d ?


39/84

37How stressed are you?

How stressed are you?

We all experience stress in dierent

ways. What one person nds stressulmight be an enjoyable challenge tosomeone else. For each o us, there isgood stress as well as bad stress or example, being under pressure to get

something done may motivate you toget it done. However, some experiences such as being made redundant or beingbereaved can have a negative eect.


40/84

Not s re i o re stressed?


41/84


Not sure i youre stressed?

When you are exposed to long periods o stress, yourbody gives you a warning that something is wrong.These physical, emotional, behavioural and mentalsigns should not be ignored. They tell you that youneed to slow down. I you continue to be stressed andyou dont give your body a break, you may develophealth problems.

I you think you might be experiencing stress,

you need to tune into your early warning signs andthink about how you eel, how it shows and how itaects other people. Look at pages 4043 or possiblewarning signs and symptoms and tick those thatapply to you.

Check out your warning signsand symptoms o stress


42/84

and symptoms o stress

PhysicalDo you experience

eeling sweaty or shivery?

heart beating ast?

dry mouth?

headache?

loss o appetite or ood, un or sex?weight gain or loss?

tight, knotty eelings in your stomach?

needing to go to the toilet a lot more than usual?

diculty sleeping, disturbed nights or waking early?

tiredness or exhaustion?odd aches and pains?

EmotionalDo you oten eel

upset?

irritable?tearul?

worried?

sick in the stomach?

isolated rom people around you?

BehaviouralD


43/84


Do you

smoke or drink more than you used to?

lack a sense o humour?neglect your personal appearance?

orget things?

work until youre exhausted?

clench your jaws or grind your teeth?

withdraw rom relationships or social situations?start tasks and not nish them?

lack concentration?

MentalDo you think

I cant do thisIll never nish

I cant cope

everything is pointless

Many o these signs and symptoms can be associated with general

health problems and can be a natural reaction to dealing withshort-term problems. Add up how many boxes you ticked.

I you ticked more than our boxes, you may be suering rom

prolonged stress.

I you ticked ewer than our boxes, you may not be suering

adversely rom stress at the moment.

The Am I stressed? quiz on the next page can help you identiy how

you view your current situation.

Quiz: Am I stressed?

Check your stress levels by ticking the answers


44/84

Check your stress levels by ticking the answersbelow that best describe you.

1. Which o the ollowing best describes how much time you

have to do everything you need to do?

A I have enough time to get everything done.

B I usually manage to get most things done.

C I have to prioritise my time very careully.

D I always seem to be short o time and rushing to catch up.

2. When you are under a lot o pressure, do you:

A cope well because it doesnt happen very oten?

B put in more eort so you can get through the dicult patch?

C give yoursel breathing space and time to take stock?

D drink lots o coee, and keep going until youre exhausted?

3. How well do you usually sleep?

A I sleep really well and eel rested in the morning. B I sometimes have trouble alling asleep, but generally

get enough sleep.

C I use relaxation methods and clear my mind beore

I go to bed.

D I have requent restless nights and oten wake early.

4. Which o the ollowing best describes the way you deal with

difcult situations?

A I rarely get rufed about things.

B I get annoyed a bit more oten than I used to.

C I have a shorter use now than I used to, but I think

beore I react to things.

D I regularly lose my temper at the smallest things.

5. Which option best describes how much time you have or the

things you enjoy?


45/84


things you enjoy?

A I regularly spend time doing things I enjoy.

B I have less and less time to do the things I enjoy.

C Time is tight, but I make sure I have some time each dayto relax and enjoy lie.

D I dont have time or hobbies or things I enjoy.

6. Which option best describes how you eel most o the time?

A I eel ne and able to cope with things.

B I sometimes get headaches, which are worse when Im

under pressure. C Im under pressure, but I use relaxation methods to make

sure I dont get too tense.

D I oten eel tearul and panicky because o the pressure

I am under.

Add up how many A, B, C and D answers you gave.

Mostly As It appears rom your answers that you are not under

a great deal o stress. You have a good balance in your lie at the

moment. Look out or signs o becoming stressed in the uture.

Mostly Bs You seem to be experiencing some stress and are eeling

the consequences in various aspects o your lie. Try taking positive

steps to deal with this stress or example, by taking regular exercise,

making time or yoursel, and getting any support you need.

Mostly Cs While you experience some stress, you have developed a

range o skills to cope with this. Well done or recognising that stressneeds to be dealt with and or coming up with ways like relaxation

and time management to help you to get on with lie.

Mostly Ds You seem to be experiencing a lot o stress and this may

adversely aect both your physical health and your relationships. Think

about how you might start to reduce your stress levels (see What can

you do about stress? on pages 51-69). You could talk to someone about

how stress is making you eel (see Getting help on page 70).


46/84

Keep a diary


47/84


Keep a diary

I you eel stressed, or i your results rom

the Am I stressed? quiz suggest that youmight be, its a good idea to keep a diaryor a ew days.

This will help you pinpoint commontriggers or stressul situations in your lie,how you react to the stress and whathelps you cope, so that you can managethe cause o your stress more eectively.See the example Stress diary onpage 47.

When you eel stressed, note down in your diary:

what triggered the eeling o being stressed (orl i i d th b )


48/84

example i you missed the bus)

how stressed you elt, on a scale o 0 to 5, where 5 isthe most stressed

any signs or symptoms o stress such as drymouth, or being tearul (see pages 4041)

how well you coped, on a scale o 0 to 3, where 0 ispoorly and 3 is well, and

what helped (or example i you went or a walk,

or had a break).When you have completed your diary, you will:

be able to see the dierent triggers youexperienced, and which ones were most stressul

notice some common warning signs or symptomso stress, and

be able to see the things which helped you manageyour stress well.

Stress diary


49/84


y

TriggerHow

stressedyoufelt

Score

05(0=leastto5=most)

Signs or

symptoms

o stress

How

wellyoucoped

Score

03(0=poorlyto3=well)

What helped?


50/84

Action points


51/84


Take time to think about the pressures in your lie.

Tune in to your early warning signs and think about: how you eel how it shows, and how it may be aecting others.

Go through the checklist on pages 4041 to ndyour main signs and symptoms o stress.

Complete the Am I stressed? quiz on pages 4243 tocheck your stress levels.

Keep a stress diary or a ew days.

Look at your diary to see which are the keypressures in your lie.

Plan to manage these pressures using things you

have tried that worked well in the past, or otherideas in this booklet.


52/84

What can you do


53/84

51What can you do about stress?

yabout stress?

There are a number o ways to tacklestress in your lie. Think about whetheryou can do any o the ollowing.

Avoid the sources o your stress

Once you have pinpointed the main sources o stressi li thi k b t h t ld d t id


54/84

in your lie, think about what you could do to avoidthem. For example:

I trafc jams are causing you stress, think abouthow you can change your journey to work. Forexample, can you leave earlier or later, or can youwalk, cycle or use public transport part or all o theway, or take a dierent route to work?

I your workload is too great, talk to your manager

and ask i you can have extra help, attend a timemanagement course or have some extra training.

I you are having amily problems, talk thingsthrough with those close to you. Plan to have sometime enjoying things together. Or think abouthaving some counselling.

I you are just too busy, prioritise and drop someo your commitments.

Change how you respondto stressul situations


55/84


to stressul situations

I you cant remove the source o your stress, try toocus on changing your attitude towards it. Thinkabout how you respond both physically and mentallywhen you are in a stressul situation.

Physical response

When you are stressed, you may get physicalsymptoms such as tense muscles, taking short, ast

breaths, or eeling butteries in your stomach.Instead, take some slow, deep breaths, or try somerelaxation techniques (see pages 6061), and remindyoursel that getting stressed wont help the situation.

Mental response

When pressure mounts up, its easy to become

deensive, rustrated, angry or depressed. I you startto eel that youre getting stressed, take a step back.Give yoursel some space, take some time and planwhat you can do to ease the situation.

I you have negative thoughts going through yourmind like I cant cope, or Im useless try

challenging them with more positive thoughts, suchas, I know I will get through this in time or There arelots o things I am good at and valued or.


56/84

Make changes to your liestyleto help reduce the eects


57/84


to help reduce the eectso stress on your body

Top healthy liestyle tips to tackle stress:

Eat well

Keep physically active

Keep alcohol to within healthy limits

Dont smoke

Learn to relax

Make time or rest

Manage your time

Seek help and get support.

Eat well

Your body is able to ght stressul situations betterwhen you take the time to eat well. Try to:


58/84

when you take the time to eat well. Try to:

eat regular meals

eat a wide variety o healthy oods have at least 5 portions o ruit and vegetables a day

make sure that at least one-third o your ood comesrom bread, pasta, beans, rice, potatoes or pulses

choose oods low in saturated at

cut down on salt and sugar have less tea, coee and other drinks with caeine,

and drink plenty o water

reach a healthy weight and maintain it, and

combine healthy eating habits with a regularphysical activity programme.

For more on healthy eating, see our booklet Eating well.

Keep physically active

M d t i t it h i l ti it ( ti it th t t


59/84


Moderate-intensity physical activity (activity that getsyou warm and slightly out o breath) has been shown

to release endorphins natural substances that helpyou eel better and maintain a positive attitude. Doingregular physical activity or 30 minutes a day on atleast ve days a week will help you cope with stress.

It will also:

lower your risk o coronary heart disease, diabetes

and stroke provide you with more energy and stamina

help to you to maintain a healthy weight, and

help to reduce the risk o some cancers.

The 30 minutes can be split into smaller time slotso at least 10 minutes at a time.

Choose activities that you enjoy and set yourselrealistic reasonable goals. Or choose dierent activitieseach day to keep you interested and motivated. Evena brisk hal-hour walk every day can make a dierence

to how you eel, look and cope with lie.

I you have high blood pressure or get angina, or iyou have another medical condition, you should talkto your GP beore suddenly increasing your activitylevels or taking up any new activity.

Keep alcohol to withinhealthy limits

When you eel stressed you might be tempted to


60/84

When you eel stressed, you might be tempted tolook or easy solutions such as the relaxed eeling you

may get rom alcohol. But drinking too much can beharmul or your heart and your health (see page 22).

Men should not regularly drink more than 3 to 4units in a day. Women should not regularly drinkmore than 2 to 3 units in a day.

1 unit o alcohol =a small glass (100ml) o wine(10% ABV [alcohol by volume])

or

hal a pint (about 300ml) o normal-strength lager,cider or beer (or example, 3.5% ABV)

or

a pub measure (25ml) o spirits

Dont smoke

I you smoke stopping smoking is the single most


61/84


I you smoke, stopping smoking is the single mostimportant thing you can do to improve your heart

health, and your general health too.

I you have already tried to quit smoking but havestarted again, ask your doctor or pharmacist about thestop-smoking aids now available. Getting proessionalhelp can increase your chance o success. For moreinormation, see our booklet Stop smoking.

Learn to relax

Learning how to relax is a very good way to copewith stress o any kind, and can promote a eeling o


62/84

wellbeing. It also reduces anxiety, irritability, andpain caused by tense muscles such as neck ache,back ache and headache.

Once you are practised at doing it, you will nd itmakes a noticeable dierence to your mood and toyour energy not just when you are stressed, but alsoat other times. It can also have a protective eect onyour mental wellbeing helping to prevent some

common mental health problems.

Relaxation is more than just sitting back and beingquiet. It is an active process involving techniques thatcalm your body and mind. Finding relaxation activitiesthat help you unwind and tting them into your dailylie will actually give you more energy and make you

more eective at the things you have to get done.

The quick relaxation routine

1. Tune into your breathing. Take one deep breath in, hold it, and

then tell yoursel to let go as you breathe out through your

mouth. Breathe naturally or a while, and then repeat the deep

breath and letting go with your outward breath.

2. Tense up and then relax a single muscle group such as your

hand, your oot or stomach. When you let go, try to let all the

unnecessary tension slip away. Do the same or some other

muscle groups.

3.Drop your shoulders.

4. Apply your relaxation skills in increasingly testing situations.

You will soon begin to benet.

You could combine relaxation exercises with youravourite music. Choose something that lits your moodor that you nd soothing Some people nd it easier to


63/84


or that you nd soothing. Some people nd it easier torelax while listening to specially designed relaxation audio

tapes, which provide music and relaxation instructions.You can download and listen to a range o podcasts romthe Mental Health Foundation to help you relax (see www.mentalhealth.org.uk/inormation/wellbeing-podcasts).

Other popular ways to relax include yoga,pilates and meditation. You could join a local class

or one o these, or practise at home. Once you nda relaxation method that works or you, practise itevery day or at least 30 minutes.

Make time or rest

Even with a healthy diet and exercise, you cant ghtstress eectively without rest. You need time to

ti d t l t


64/84

recover rom exertion and stressul events.

Make enough time to relax your mind as well as yourbody. It could be sitting down with the newspaper,going or a short walk, or having a cup o tea with ariend. Some people nd that switching o and takinga nap during the day helps reduce their stress.

Manage your time

For many o us, lie is lled with too many demands and


65/84


y , ytoo little time. For the most part, over-ambitious goals

are ones we have chosen ourselves. This drive to juggletoo much means we lose out on time or ourselves. Ithelps to learn how to manage your time well.

Eective time-management skills involve settingpriorities, asking or help when appropriate, pacingyoursel and taking time out or yoursel.

Seek help and get support

I you eel that things are getting on top o you, trytalking about it. Whatever is causing you stress, youcan do a lot to help yoursel by talking it through withyour amily or riends. They may be able to stand

back rom the situation and together you can identiythings that will help.

It is better to ask or help rather than strugglingon pretending to be able to cope. Speak tosomeone you trust about the things that are causingyou stress. There is support available use it. See

Getting help, on pages 7071.


66/84

Plan your stress-bustingactivities or the week


67/84


You need to build some stress-busting activities

into your day, your week, and your lie.

Think about the week ahead.

Think through the commitments that you have andthe likely danger spots or stressul situations (such asa dicult meeting at work, or a childs birthday party).

Now plan the stress-busting activities that you aregoing to build into your week. Go through the liston pages 66 and 67 and choose which ones you willinclude as part o your plan to de-stress.

Stress-busting activities

WorkI work is stressing you out:

t lk t d t th k


68/84

talk to your manager and together make some

changes seek advice rom your human resources department

talk to a colleague or riend.

RelaxationYou can do this by:

sitting down and taking some deep breaths

doing a series o stretches

taking up a new hobby or activity

practising yoga, pilates or meditation.

Problem-solvingAsk yoursel:

What is the real problem?

What can I do dierently?

Reect on the outcome. Did doing things dierentlywork?

I it didnt work, try another action plan.

Time management Prioritise tasks and plan your day accordingly.

Do one thing at a time.

Have realistic short-term and long-term strategiesor getting things done.

Learn to say No. At work, at home, and with riends,you sometimes need to put yoursel rst.Remember to be assertive. Being assertive allows


69/84


you to stand up or your rights and belies while

respecting those o others. Be realistic about what you can achieve, know your

own limits, and celebrate success at every opportunity.

I you eel overwhelmed, talk about it with a riend,partner or manager.

Some o these changes can take time to develop.

Dont expect to be able to change everything at onceor to get it right rst time. Expecting too much oyoursel will possibly add more stress. Be kindto yoursel.

The benets ostress-busting activities

Building some stress-busting activities intoyour week will mean that:

you protect yoursel rom health problemsassociated with stress

you are more ecient at getting things done

you have more time or the things you enjoy

you enjoy better relationships with amily, riendsand work colleagues, and

you eel much better.

The stress chain

This shows you some examples o ways to copewith stress, and how to react more positively tostressul situations.


70/84

When you are eeling

stressed

What you can do

Be aware o it. Keep a stress diary (see pages 4547).

Make a hassle list a list o all the

things that cause you stress.

Look out or early warning signs o

stress (see pages 4041).

Reduce the chance o

it happening again.

Manage your time.

Say No sometimes.

Avoid your stress hot spots where

possible.

Get help and support.

Change how you

think or eel aboutstress.

Get the balance right in your lie.

Take a positive approach. Accept what you cant change.

Change how you react

to it.

Communicate with your partner

and others.

Be assertive about your needs.

Keep things in perspective.

Use relaxation skills like deep

breathing.

Use humour.

Reduce the eects o

stress on your body.

Eat well.

Be physically active.

Have a massage.

Relax.

Action points Avoid sources o stress i you can.

l k b k


71/84


I you eel stress coming on, take a step back,

breathe deeply, and take stock. Keep things in perspective.

Make sure you get regular, healthy meals, and cutdown on comort ood i it is unhealthy.

Get plenty o exercise whatever you enjoy doing.

Limit alcohol to recommended levels. Make sure you have plenty o rest and relaxation.

Manage your time by prioritising and learningto say No.

Talk to someone about your eelings i you arending things dicult.

Get the help and support you need.

Getting helpYou should ask or proessional help:

i the inormation in this booklet is not enough


72/84

i you are regularly aected by some o thesymptoms o stress

i stress is aecting your ability to work, or to copewith your lie or your relationships with others

i you think you might have depression (seepages 2729)

i you are drinking too much or are using drugs tocope with stress, or

i a riend or your partner asks you to get help.

There are many sources o proessional help.

The rst thing to do is to talk to your GP. He or shemay be able to help, or may reer you to another


73/84

71Getting help

health proessional.

Or you may want to nd a private practitioner.To nd a qualied counsellor, psychotherapist orpsychologist, contact one o the organisations below,or ask at your local library.

British Association or Behavioural

and Cognitive Psychotherapies

Victoria Buildings

9-13 Silver Street

Bury BL9 0EU

Phone: 0161 797 4484

Website: www.babcp.com

British Association or Counselling

and Psychotherapy

BACP House

15 St Johns Business Park

Lutterworth

Leicestershire LE17 4HB

Phone: 01455 883316

Website: www.bacp.co.uk

British Psychological Society

St Andrews House

48 Princess Road EastLeicester LE1 7DR

Phone: 0116 254 9568

Website: www.bps.org.uk

Alcohol

Al-Anon Family Groups

Phone: 0207 403 0888

www al anonuk org uk

Financial problems

National Debtline

Phone: 0808 808 4000

www nationaldebtline co uk

Where to go or more inormation


74/84

www.al-anonuk.org.uk

Alcohol Concern

Phone: 020 7264 0510

www.alcoholconcern.org.uk

Alcoholics Anonymous

Helpline: 0845 769 7555

www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Bereavement

CRUSE Bereavement Care

Helpline: 0844 477 9400

www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk

Bullying

For inormation about how to

tackle bullying at school, visit

www.bbc.co.uk/schools and

search or bullying.

Carers

Carers Line

Phone: 0808 808 7777

A reephone helpline providing

advice to carers about their legal

rights and entitlements.

See also How the British HeartFoundation can help you, on

pages 7475.

www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

Health at work

bh.org.uk/healthatwork

The BHF Health at work website

includes ideas, tools and

downloads to support workplace

health promoters.

Think t! Think well! A guide to

developing a workplace mentalwellbeing programme

A resource to support health

promoters in developing a mental

wellbeing programme at work.

Healthy liestyle

For booklets on healthy liestyle

physical activity, stoppingsmoking and healthy eating

see pages 7475.

Freephone helplines or people

who want to stop smoking:

BHF Smoking Helpline

Phone: 0800 169 1900

www.bh.org.uk/smoking

NHS Smoking Helpline

Phone: 0800 022 4 332

www.smokeree.nhs.uk

Quitline

Phone: 0800 00 22 00

www.quit.org.uk

Mental illness including

depression

Anxiety UK (ormerly The

National Phobics Society)

Saneline

Phone: 0845 767 8000

www.sane.org.uk

A helpline oering inormation

and advice on all aspects o


75/84

73Getting help

Phone: 08444 775 774

www.anxietyuk.org.uk

Depression Alliance

Phone: 0845 123 23 20

www.depressionalliance.org

Mental Health Foundation

Phone: 020 7803 1100

www.mentalhealth.org.uk

MIND

Mind Ino Line: 0845 766 0163

www.mind.org.uk

No Panic

Helpline: 0808 808 0545

www.nopanic.org.uk

A ree helpline or people

suering rom panic attacks,

phobias, obsessive-compulsive

disorders and other

anxiety-related disorders.

The Samaritans

Phone: 08457 90 90 90

www.samaritans.org.uk

and advice on all aspects o

mental health or individuals,and their amilies or riends.

Relationships

Childline

Phone: 0800 1111

www.childline.org.uk

Children and young people

can call this ree, condential

helpline, about any problem,

at any time day or night.

Parentline

Phone: 0808 800 2222

Email: parentsupport@

parentlineplus.org.uk

www.parentlineplus.org.uk

RelatePhone: 0300 100 1234

www.relate.org.uk

Stress management

International Stress

Management Association

Phone: 01179 697284

www.isma.org.ukEmail: [email protected]

Stress at Work

www.hse.gov.uk/stress

A website on stress in the

workplace.

How the British HeartFoundation can help you

We are the nations heart charity, dedicated tosaving lives through pioneering research, patient


76/84

care, campaigning or change, and providing vitalinormation.

You might nd some o the ollowingresources helpul:

Booklets

Our heart health catalogue

For you, or amily and riends, or health proessionals

Get active, stay activeEnjoy being active and keep your heart healthy

Be active or lieOver 50? Keep your heart healthy with physical activity

Put your heart into walking

Its easy, its ree, its great or your heart

Physical activity and your heartFor people who have a heart condition or are at risk

o developing heart disease

Take control o your weightSae ways to lose weight or heart health

Eating wellHow to keep ood un and good or your heart

Cut down on saltIts easy to do and good or your heart

Stop smokingHow to quit or a healthy heart

DVD

Risking itThis DVD ollows ve ordinary people, all o whom have one or more

risk actors or coronary heart disease. They have decided to start


77/84

75How the British Heart Foundation can help you

y y

taking responsibility or their health and take positive action.

For inormation on other BHF booklets and DVDs ask or a copy

oOur heart health catalogue.

How to order our resources

To order any o our booklets or DVDs:

call the BHF Orderline on 0870 600 6566

email [email protected] visit bh.org.uk/publications

You can also download many o our publications rom our website.

Our booklets are ree o charge, but we would welcome a donation

so we can continue our vital work. (Turn the page to see how you can

make a donation.)

Heart MattersHeart Matters is our ree, personalised service to help you live

with a healthy heart. Join Heart Matters today to access benets

including heart matters magazine, a HelpLine and an online

members area with recipes, articles and liestyle tools. Register

online at bh.org.uk/heartmattersor call 0300 330 3300

(a local rate number).

We need your helpto continue our lie-saving workAs a charity we rely on the generosity o people likeyou to und our vital work. Thousands o people withheart disease turn to us or help every year and even


78/84

heart disease turn to us or help every year and evenmore will need us in the uture. We want to be thereor them.

Please donate today and together we can beatheart disease or good.

I you would like to make a donation:

please call our donation hotline on 0300 330 3322,

contact us through our website at bh.org.uk/donate

or ll in the orm on the next page and post it to us at the

address on the back cover.

Other ways you can help

There are many other ways you can play a crucial role

in our eorts to beat heart disease:

Become a volunteer and help run our shops, events orservices or local communities. To nd out more, call

0845 130 8663 or visit bh.org.uk/volunteer

Have un on a sponsored run, bike ride or walk. For more

on this, call 0844 477 1181 or visit bh.org.uk/events

Join our Heartstartinitiative and learn to save lives with the

skills o emergency lie support. Over 2.3 million people already

have. For more inormation contact [email protected]

Donate goods to your local BHF shop. To nd out whereyour nearest BHF shop is, call 0844 412 5000.

Give in celebration by oering your party guests the

chance to donate to us instead o buying gits, or

example or your wedding anniversary or birthday.

Visit bh.org.uk/celebrate or more inormation.

Thank you.

Your support will help us prevent early deaths

Here is my git to help more people recover rom

heart problems 10 15 20 Other


79/84

77Heading

Please make your cheque / postal order/ CAF voucher payable to theBritish Heart Foundation.

Title (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Other) First name Surname

Address

Postcode

Email

We would like to keep in touch with you, to let you k now your support has made a dierence.

By supplying your email address you agree that the BHF may use this to contact you about our work.

OR please debit the above sum rom my:

AMEX CAF Card MasterCard Visa / Delta Maestro

Card number (Maestro only)

Valid rom / Expiry date / Issue no

(Maestro only)

Signature Date / /

Make your git worth almost a third

more at no extra cost to you!

Are you a UK taxpayer?

I you are a UK taxpayer pl ease tick the

rst box so we can claim back up to 28p

or every 1 you give at no extra cost

to you.

* To qualiy or Git Aid, you

must pay an amount o UK

Income Tax and/or Capital

Gains Tax at least equal to

the tax that the BHF will

reclaim on your donations

in the appropriate tax year.

Your donation must be

o your own money and

cannot be a collection.

GA1 Yes, I am a UK taxpayer and

would like the BHF to reclaim the tax on

any o the donations I have made in the

last six years and any uture donations

I may make.*

Date

GA2 No, I am not a UK taxp ayer.

Please tick here i you do not wish the British Heart Foundation to contact you. (MP0059)

From time to time we allow other similar organisations to write to our suppor ters.I you do not wish to be contacted by them, please tick here. (MP0060)

The British Heart Foundation is the nation s heart charity, registered in England and Wales (225971)

and in Scotland (SC039426).

10BS00 CC07CC 141150030 5D01


80/84

Please send this orm to:

British Heart FoundationGreater London House180 Hampstead RoadLondon NW1 7AW

Thank you.

Legal & General supportingthe British Heart Foundation

Legal & General are delighted to be working again


81/84

79Legal & General supporting the British Heart Foundation

with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to promotehealth and tness in the workplace. Over 300,000 hasbeen donated since the partnership began in 2002.

Legal & General are leading providers o risk, savings and investment

management and are committed to strong principles o Corporate

Social Responsibility (CSR). It prides itsel on consistently contributing

at least 2.5m year on year to supporting national and local charities,

and social enterprises throughout the UK.By working closely with Third Sector partners that link to what we do,

the charity gets the support it needs and we gain access to a rich source

of knowledge to help us increase our understanding of real world issues

and trends that directly relate to our businesses. It is a win-win situation.Graham Precey, Head o CSR, Legal & General

Legal & Generals Group Protection business has enjoyed a benecial

and productive partnership with the BHF, concentrating on the

promotion o workplace health and how this helps build better

understanding o important health issues that could aect customers

in the uture.

For more inormation on Legal & Generals CSR policies,

please visit www.legalandgeneralgroup.com/csr

IndexA

activity .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021

alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 58

angina .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

B

blood pressure 14

M

money problems .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

O

overweight .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

P


82/84

blood pressure .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

C

causes o stress .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

cholesterol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

coronary heart disease .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

counsellor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

D

debt .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

depression .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 2729

diabetes .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16diary .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4547

diet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

E

eating well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

F

amily history o heart disease .. . . . . 11

H

healthy eating .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

heart attack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

heart conditions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2425

heart disease .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713

high blood pressure .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

L

loneliness .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

physical activity .. . . . . . . . . . . 2021, 29, 57

Q

quiz .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4243

R

relationships .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

relaxation .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6061

response to stress .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

risk actors or heart disease .. . . . . . . . 11

Ssigns o stress .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4041

smoking .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1819, 59

sources o stress .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

stress-busting activities .. . . . . . . . . 6567

stroke .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7073

symptoms o stress .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4041

T

time management .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

time pressure .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

W

weight .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

work-related stress .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3233


83/84


84/84

British Heart Foundation

Greater London House

180 Hampstead Road

London NW1 7AW

Phone: 020 7554 0000

Fax: 020 7554 0100

Website: bhf.org.uk British Heart Foundation 2010, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)

G187/0310

Documents

G187 Coping With Stress