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Stories

Read stories of our participants’ experiences with stress and stress management.

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Stories

Friends

I talked to my friend about the issue

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Social support

Last weekend attended 14th year of getting together with previous work colleagues. Amid a stressful time it was very therapeutic to have laughs and sharing with old friends away from stresses!

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Proritising self care

Making little promises to myself as part of a self care routine (e.g. saying that "I am a person who goes to bed each night by 10pm", and trying to stick to those promises!!

Reading

Reading a fiction book (have not been motivated to read for a long time, so was nice to be sucked into a fictitious world again for a few chapters each night before I went to sleep)

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Stress awareness

Just go with the flow and don't catastrophise as it only makes you feel more stressed. Commit only to what I know I can achieve to limit added pressure. Accept my health conditions and work life around them.

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Being creative

creative pursuits at home (stitching, weaving, painting)

Sunshine

• Trying to get out into the sunshine more. I find winter can be particularly difficult and I find spending some time in the sun (when it's out!) can be really helpful in making me feel more grounded and relaxed.

Camping

• I took my family camping and gold panning for 3 days. We sat in a creek, getting muddy while we panned. Panning was a strangely mindful activity, and I've come home feeling very calm.

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Reclaiming holiday time

Try to rethink my situation from disappointment and frustration of being sick overseas as taking an opportunity to slow down, rest and recuperate. Lots of gentle walks in the French countryside.

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This too shall pass

Finding strategies for immediate situations is important. Building resilience that I know will come with each day until passes. This too, will pass.

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Awareness of stressful feelings

Here's two top tips from study participants about beeing aware of how you are feeling: "Mindfulness exercises (especially relating to feeling my feelings rather than spiral into overthinking)" "Trying to be more aware of feeling stress, and sort of making 'space' between that stress and my ...

Hammock

Swinging in a hammock was almost instantly calming for me. I practised a 5 senses mindfulness while I was swinging gently in the hammock & I think it was my most mindful practise to date! Even without the mindfulness practise, the hammock was very relaxing for me! An absolute game changer! Will d...