OK, so let's go right back to the beginning again because it seems despite all the hard work of many upstanding individuals the fact that stress is bad (and I mean really bad), is just not quite sinking in with many people.

OK, so let's go right back to the beginning again because it seems despite all the hard work of many upstanding individuals the fact that stress is bad (and I mean really bad), is just not quite sinking in with many people.

Mainly, the people who either aren't stressed, or those who are pretending that they're not stressed.

To be honest, most the time people just don't realise they are stressed.

I mean, would you truly know that you're stressed if you've been stressed since you were a teenager?

That's pretty much when it starts to kick in for everyone.

While you're desperately trying to remember everything you have learned since you first started school and successfully regurgitate it in an hour to a high standard...

In fact for many, exams are so stressful that nowadays teenagers really aren't fairing too well and are collecting clinical diagnosis of severe mental health difficulties like they're the most sought after Pokémon cards.

Right, enough about the kids, this isn't one of my parenting blogs.

But it was important we revisited your youth just for a minute so you can realise that before this time you were actually happy.

You had fun with your friends, laughed, joked and messed around without a care in the world.

Then, boom!

It's exam time and it's game over for a stress free life.

Next, you leave school and get a job.

You think - this is it I'm going to be happy again because I really like working here, doing this job, using my skills in this way...

six months later - Boom!

You're stressed again.

This really is not the job you signed up for, your boss is a numpty, and the pay is so rubbish you live on baked beans for the last week of every month just so you can pay the bills.

I get it - I really do because I was there once.

I've completely gone off beans now though!

The problem unfortunately isn't with your job.

It's with you (sorry but it really is).

Your job is the same now as it was when you were super exited about it on your very first day.

What's happened is you've allowed the pressures of the job to mount up and little by little this has simply destroyed your ability to cope.

You have probably started comfort eating (although some of us go completely the other way and stop eating all together), you're a lot snappier than usual, you are struggling to think, concentrate, and process even the most basic of tasks.

You may have become the world's best procrastinator and make endless cups of tea (mine's white with no sugar please), or you are always 'busy' doing something but never seeming to achieve anything...

Now, if you just keep plodding on I promise you with no uncertain terms it is going to get worse.

This is a fact.

This is not scaremongering.

Stress turns into depression or anxiety (and if you're like all those troubled teenagers you'll probably collect both).

But, maybe you're still unsure of why stress is so bad.

After all - who really knows what depression or anxiety is?

How about we delve into all the physical illness that have been linked to stress (as in both increasing your risk and making it worse if you already have it), which you may have heard of:

Cancer, heart disease, diabetes (type 2), obesity, and auto-immune diseases...

All of these increase the risk of dying prematurely.

Honest.

Stress kills if you decide to ignore it for long enough, one way or another.

Thankfully, if you're just stressed (ha - as if anyone is 'just' stressed), there are some simple things you can do right now, today, to start reversing the effects.

You need to start right back with your 'Three Fundamentals for Wellbeing'; sleep, exercise and diet.

I promise you - getting these right will make the biggest difference to your life.

Sleeping in tune with your circadian rhythm (three, six, nine, or 12 hours a night), exercising regularly (three * 30 minute sessions a week), and eating a rainbow diet (anything and everything of all different colours, shapes and sizes in moderation), will create the hormones your body needs to not only improve your mental health but will also put your physical body back into tip-top condition.

Our bodies and brains are amazing - if we let them do their job and stop messing with our own mojo.

Give your body and brain the best chance to get you out of the funk and back into the pair of 'thin' jeans you have stashed at the back of your wardrobe.

Best of all - it really is simple.

Good luck de-stressing and I'll catch up with you soon - Katie.

P.S. if your work really is stressing you out and you already have your three fundamentals under hand then grab the FREE 'How to Survive Your 9-5 Guide' and check out the other things you can do:

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