Commemorating International Stress Awareness Week 2022

Had a rough day and are feeling tired? Wanted to escape from the routine or internal and external pressures? This might be a start and an impact of stress! Join us and millions of others in commemorating International Stress Awareness Week and know better what you and the others are currently having, what to do about it, and how to help in increasing its awareness!

All you need to know about International Stress Awareness Week

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While working or studying is fun and trying to achieve your goals is a productive activity, repeating the same routine while fulfilling both your and others' expectations might expose you to burning out. Resulting in bad stress and mental health issues to be dealt with. During the week, the whole world is with you in dealing with these problems.

International Stress Awareness Week was created in 2018 by The International Stress Management Association as a follow-up to the Stress Awareness Day that was established in 1998. The commemoration was promoted to raise awareness about stress prevention, the best practices for stress management and well-being, and knowledge regarding stress and mental health issues. The campaign also focuses on eliminating the stigma and wrong views that are associated with stress and mental health.

Things you can expect during the 2022 International Stress Awareness Week

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This year’s commemorations are held from the 7th to the 11th of November which promotes the theme of “Working Together to Build Resilience and Reduce Stress”. This week-long commemoration is open for everyone to join in the conversations, share their thoughts, raise awareness, and even hold events regarding the campaign. Some of the points that are the focus of this year’s discussions are:

1. How we can all help people who face mental health challenges
2. How employers are responding to stress and mental health issues
3. How stress management professionals can help to alleviate stress
4. How workplace changes such as hybrid working are affecting well-being and levels of resilience
5. How those suffering from stress and mental health issues can access advice and support.

These discussions are a result of reflection due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, as it has caused more and more people to develop some kind of mental health issues. Especially contributing to the number of issues that are related to loneliness and grief.

This year, ISMA and other partners around the world are also holding summits and local events to raise awareness regarding the matter. If you’re interested, wanted to contribute, or know someone who needed the materials and help, you can access the main 2022 Summit program for more information here.

Why is it important for you to manage your stress?

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With everyone having their own things to take care of and achieve, more and more people are unable to cope with the stress level that is presented to them. With constant exposure to stress-inducing influences, it was revealed that within the population that had a form of stress or mental health issues, resulted in constant anxiousness and even suicidal thoughts. 

Prolonged stress that failed to be dealt with could also lead to chronic stress. These chronic stress episodes can also lead to both physically and mentally life-threatening problems such as hypertension, immunity problems, loss of mental vitality, and other problems! Therefore, if something’s not right and you’re feeling frail, it’s better to take a break rather than risk your well-being!

Stress can be experienced by anyone, regardless of gender, age, and other given factors. Be it due to the pressure to succeed, self-image, and even body image, the importance of stress management and reducing stress-inducing factors are something that should be known and prioritized by everyone.

What to do to manage your stress and spread awareness?

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As stress especially prolonged ones is bad for you, breaking the chain reaction is the most important part of the process. Here are some of the things that you can do to help you!

1. Taking a breath by trying to embrace the positive viewpoints in life and forgetting the current stress is one of the simpler ways to reset yourself. Start and spend your day in a worry-free, carefree, and stress-free manner! 
2. Stepping away from the negative vibes or things that have been pressuring you for some time. Include or do the things that you like instead such as traveling, meeting friends, indulging yourself in foods, or even trying out new things!
3. As stress management are something that you need to do constantly, unwinding everything in a single day will not work most of the time. Therefore, try allocating a small portion of time every day to contemplate and find out the things that contributed the most to your stress level. By doing so, you can find out the appropriate action in order to eliminate and solve your stress-inducing problems.
4. Have someone with stress problems? Try being on their side as much as possible and be a great listener as having someone to listen to your problems is the easiest way for them to relax. Giving them positive energy and pointing out things that they can refer to as the motivation to get out of the stress could also be a great way to help! However, we still encourage you to take the sidelines by seeking professional help on cases that involve mental health issues.
5. Spread your smile! As the smile is contagious and is the easiest way to create positive energy, hopefully, both you and the people around you are able to start positively and get through the day on a high note. Plan activities that you can enjoy together, be it a simple thing or some new-ground-breaking experience, in the end, the enjoyment of spending time together is the most important thing to do.
6. Don't forget to ask for the blessings of Allah because with His permission, you will find it easier to get rid of the negativity that has been haunting you and find the good things in life.

Fun fact: Although celebrated and commemorated for a whole week, most of the awareness efforts and events are held on the Wednesday within the awareness week. This is done as Wednesdays are deemed the most exhausting and stressful days during the week. Hence why most of the celebrations are usually done on Wednesdays to remind people to ease the stress during the most stressful day of the week and help them to get back to their optimum performance.

Here are the things that we can do to commemorate International Stress Awareness Week 2022! Download the HalalTrip Mobile App to find all the mosques and halal restaurants nearby and have a better travel experience as a Muslim. Have a great day and remember to start your day with a smile. :)

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