National Stress Awareness Day: 3 Easy Ways To Prevent Stress Making You Ill

According to research carried out by Aveda 90 per cent of visits to the doctor are due to stress. It’s time for that to change.

November the 5th isn’t just about fireworks, you know; it also marks National Stress Awareness Day. This year Aveda has teamed up with the Stress Management Society and together they’re raising awareness and sharing valuable tips for handling everyday stresses.

Aveda surveyed 1009 men and women across the UK and found that 55 per cent of people said that stress effects their quality of sleep and 43 per cent said that they feel stressed at least once a day at work.

These alarming stats are being put down to our modern way of life, where we try to do everything, and our constant online connection (more than a quarter of people check their emails as soon as they wake up and 48 per cent will check their emails throughout the evening).

Stress doesn’t just impact our ability to get a good night’s rest, government agency the Health and Safety Executive tell us there is a link between stress and illness and their research with Personnel Today magazine shows us that 105 million days a year are lost to stress.

If you’re feeling the effects of stress – which the Stress Management Society define as ‘a situation where demands on a person exceed that person’s resources or ability to cope’ (sounds familiar doesn’t it?) - then there are steps you can take to greatly reduce the impact it has on you.

1. Make sure you get a lunch break. Half of those questioned by Aveda said that they fail to take a proper break away from their desk at lunchtime.

2. Try aromatherapy. The Aveda Stress Fix Range helps to reduce that rising feeling of anxiety we’re all familiar with when we’re stressed. Aveda’s Stress Fix Concentrate, £22, calms nerves with lavender, lavandin and clary sage and it comes in a handy roller ball so you can reapply to your skin as often as needed.

3. Have a soak. A warm bath does more than relax the senses, it improves skin tone and turns your muscles into butter too. Add a handful of Aveda Stress Fix Soaking Salt, £31, to warm water – it contains the same lavandin, lavender and clary sage blend. A hot bath has the added benefit of promoting sleep by prompting a subtle drop in body temperature. But do yourself a favour, leave your phone, tablet, whatever outside.