April marks the start of Stress Awareness Month. Find out how our team deals with stress, what support is available for you and how you can make a difference to your community through online accessibility.
We’ve all dealt with stress at some point in our life; after all, it’s a natural physical and mental reaction to some life experiences.
Many of us cope with stressful situations in very different ways. If stress isn’t managed, it can start to take its toll on your well-being and impact upon your health.
How the HeX team deal with stress
For Stress Awareness Month, the HeX team gave their number one go-to-action, which helps them to defeat stress:
James Hall
I go for a walk on my lunch break and after work, with some music on. This allows me to step away from the screen and recharge a bit. Fresh air is a great stress release!
Emma Marmion
I watch TikTok and Instagram star Francis Bourgeois – if you know, you know!
Take 5 minutes and take a look, it’ll put a smile on your face!
Zara Gemmell
I believe it’s important to concentrate on yourself and be the best person you can be.
Try not to put yourself in competition with your peers or get into mind games with people around you. I try as much as possible to stop that behaviour and allow myself the freedom to be honest with myself and others around me.
Read more about how Zara deals with stress in her previous blog: How our woman in business copes with stress
Cheryl Swan
Normally, I start looking at holidays. I spend way too much time on Skyscanner for what I can realistically afford. But it’s always good to have something to look forward to and be able to countdown to some away time.
I’m also going to be greedy and have another main stress-relieving action. I can’t miss off my two favourite things in the world – cuddles with my wappy dogs make everything that bit better!
Tom Miller
As I’m not allowed to smash things up, I tend to just go for a nice leisurely walk. 🙂
Matthew King
I go to the gym. Exercise is the best stress relief – fact!
Want to learn more about what makes our fab team tick? Meet the team.
Inaccessible websites impact people’s stress levels
The Stress Awareness Month theme for this year is ‘Community’.
A community is more than a group of people within the area where we live. Communities offer a sense of belonging, support and connect us all together.
Research shows that people who are more socially connected to family, friends, or their community are happier, and physically healthier, with fewer mental health problems than people who aren’t well connected.
When we hear the term social isolation, we don’t often link it with online activities. Not having access to accessible websites can restrict individuals from staying connected to their community and the services that communities provide. This can lead to a feeling of isolation and unnecessary stress.
We can all play our part in shaping our communities. Help to build an inclusive world by removing online accessibility barriers.
Here are 7 alterations that you can make today on your website which those with disabilities need from you.
If you need accessibility advice, get in touch with our expert team, who can guide you through the changes needed to help your community.
Stress-relieving resources and support
The Stress Management Society, founders of Stress Awareness Month, have a great range of free resources to help you.
They offer advice on:
- Coping with personal stress.
- How to adopt a positive mindset.
- How to get a good night’s sleep.
- Dealing with stress at work.
- Looking after your well-being.
- Breathing techniques.
- Advice for managers.
Along with offering great 30-day challenges, workshops and guides that can help reduce your stress levels.
The NHS has also put together 10 stress busters that you can adopt to address stress in your life.
If you feel like you need further support or need someone to talk to, visit the Mind website.
