Help Seeking
Managing Stress: Lifeline’s new tool kit for overcoming stress
Stress is a common human reaction to life’s demands and affects 91% of Australians according to research conducted by Lifeline Australia. (Newspoll 2008)
The predominance of stress in our society is caused by a range of pressures relating to work, family, the future, health and financial concerns, among other things.
Regardless of the cause, stress can occur in varying degrees of intensity and responses and reactions to stress will be different depending on personality, cultural background, social circumstances, support networks and current situations.
Prolonged stress can adversely affect your emotional and physical health.
Common signs of stress include:
- Uncharacteristic moods and feeling ‘not yourself’
- Distracted or intrusive thoughts – difficulty focusing or concentrating
- Disturbed sleep – feeling tired all the time
- Changes in appetite and diet – loss off appetite or eating more frequently or unhealthily
- Excessive reliance on alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism
- Loss of interest in activities such as hobbies, work or socialising
- Experiencing panic or anxiety and a sense of not coping
- Physical affects such as increased blood pressure, headaches, or exhaustion
- Affects on mental health – feeling down or depressed
Seek help from a trusted friend, family member or GP if you or someone you know is experiencing signs of stress.
Lifeline has recently released a new self help resource for identifying and managing everyday stress, refer to the Lifeline Information Service Overcoming Stress Tool kit for more information.
FUNDRAISING
Your opportunity to stress down on Friday 24 July
Acknowledge the prevalence of stress in all our lives by involving your workplace in Lifeline’s Stress Down Day on the 24th July.
Take the opportunity to mark this day and recognise how stress impacts us all by having fun with your colleagues and friends at work or school. You’ll also be helping Lifeline by raising funds for our vital 24 hour telephone counselling service.
There are a number of ways you can participate – wear your slippers or pajamas to work, have a morning or afternoon tea; or raffle a massage or spa treatment. Or find your own way to stress down and take our stress down challenge. Be creative and remember to have fun.
There are only 30 days left to register. Visit the registration page on the Stress Down website to find out more.
WIN!
Give us your best stress down tip and WIN!
Register your best Stress Down tip on the stress down website to win a fantastic prize package from Akai.
If our Stress-perts judge your entry to be Australia’s best Stress Down tip you could win an LCD TV, Digital Photo frame, ipod dock and radio.
* Terms and Conditions apply – see website for more details.
EVENTS
How others are stressing down in 2009
Schools and various organisations from across Australia will be seeking ways to stress down on the 24th July to support Lifeline’s Stress Down Day.
Here are some great fundraising initiatives from participating organisations who have registered so far.
MLC will embrace a stress free spirit within their workplaces by hosting various activities across their offices to promote awareness of stress and encourage staff to take a break throughout the day. Staff will also be encouraged to wear slippers, sip herbal teas, take time out for a hand massage, play Nintendo or Wii or hold a sausage sizzle, shared plate lunch or morning tea.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is encouraging staff to de-stress by holding a ‘Stress Free Morning Tea’ with raffles, funny slipper competitions and a dressing gown parade. They will also seek to increase stress awareness and prevention in their workplace by providing practical tools for staff such as Lifeline’s Stress Management and Awareness Toolkit and Stress Management Wallet Card as well as providing information about other organisations that promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
To find out more about how you or your organisation can raise funds and support Stress Down Day, please visit stressdown.org.au
Creative Promotions' employees supporting Lifeline's Stress Down Day in the MLC Head Office in Sydney in 2008.
Stress Down Day supporter and Lifeline Advocate Steve Bastoni
Stress Down Day
Who’s supporting Stress Down Day?
Lifeline is proud to have the support of a number of celebrity Ambassadors and Advocates for Stress Down Day.
View profiles and read Q&A’s on the stress down website about how celebrities like Rove McManus, Shelley Craft, Steve Bastoni, John Howard, Kate DeAraugo, Tim Campbell, Joe Roff, Kendal Rae and Georgie Parker find ways to stress down.
Lifeline Community Fundraising Event Profile
Inspiring solo bike ride from Melbourne to Cairns
Every year, ordinary (and ultimately extraordinary) people choose to conduct their own fundraising activity or event for Lifeline.
They are often motivated by personal experience and want to show their support by doing something unique to help raise funds or awareness for Lifeline.
One such extraordinary person is Richard Jansen who is undertaking a massive solo bike ride from Melbourne to Cairns to raise awareness about depression and to help raise funds for Lifeline.
Richard, a father of three, lost a close friend to suicide and has experienced depression himself. The purpose for undertaking this challenging ride is to raise awareness about depression and break the stigma surrounding this issue.
Donations given along the way will be used to support Lifeline Australia’s Suicide Prevention work.
Find out more about Richard’s journey and gain a unique insight by reading his daily blog at http://www.arideforalife.com.au/
If you would like to organise a fundraising and awareness event on Lifeline’s behalf, please contact fundraising@lifeline.org.au or find out more about fundraising on our website www.lifeline.org.au
