The Impact of Stress
Stress is an Epidemic
Globally, 86% of the population experiences stress. What's worse is that stress levels have been on the rise for nearly 75% of all adults on the planet. Stress has not spared the workplace either - 80% employees report feeling stressed.
Stress and the Body
Common physical/bodily symptoms of stress include aches and pains, hypertension, stomach problems, skin irritated, and lowered overall immunity.
Stress and Emotions
People who are stressed struggle emotionally - they may often feel moody, anxious, irritable, cynical, and frustrated. They may also panic easily.
Stress and the Mind
Stress can lead to forgetfulness, indecision, poor judgement and lack of focus. People may also experience self-doubt when stress levels get high.
Stress and Behaviour
Stress can make people isolate themselves from others. Unhealthy sleeping or eating patterns, along with substance use are commonly seen as well.
What Causes Stress?
External Factors
When people are faced with very challenging, demanding or traumatic situations, stress is likely to occur. Stress can also be experienced when a not-so-demanding situation persists for a long period of time.
Internal Factors
Some individuals have a genetic predisposition to feel stressed easily. Others may get stressed because they lack resources to address challenges. Finally, negative thought patterns can often lead one to view situations as stressful.
Strategies for Managing Stress
Assertiveness Training
Learning to effectively express one’s feelings, making requests, saying “no” and standing up for oneself can help individuals reduce stress levels.
Physical Activity
Being active can help build physical and mental strength. Regular exercise can boost focus, promote better sleep, and also improve one's mood.
Thought Work
Training individuals to identify negative thoughts and to replace them with more positive ones can reduce the perception of stress in the first place.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help individuals respond to situations in a healthier manner. It can also empower individuals to accept unchangeable situations.
How InnerHour Can Help
The stress programme in our app equips individuals with a step-by-step guide to overcome stress and live a productive life.
A personalised plan is created for each person based on their current stress levels identified through an assessment.
A new activity each day helps individuals learn stress-busting skills such as time management, problem solving, assertiveness, and mindfulness.
We empower users to set and track goals to form healthy lifestyle habits (such as sleeping better) that help beat stress.
Individuals can also learn more about their stress through a stream of regularly updated content on the app.
What our users say
It's a very good app and helps me relieve stress. I feel more calm and focussed after using this app.
A Jayasty02/11/2018
I'm really satisfied. A good app which is a stress buster and a reliever.
A Google User02/12/2018
Very helpful! Helps alleviate stress, become more calm,and zen. I love it
Julia DeCoursey21/11/2018
Best help for stress and depression. Felt better in one day :)
Cheyenne Lawson15/11/2018
Had severe stress. Not sleeping for months. N tried this on whim. I got annoyed at first but oh my god did the pmr exercise helped me. I actually relaxed n fell aeeo. Works. Looking forward to keep using this
ShadowayeLeFay01/02/2019
best app ever! It's actually helping me with stress and depression
Charizard X Gaming Livestreams22/01/2019
good for youngsters leading stressful life .
A Google User24/02/2019
love this app it helps me stay organized and and live more free of stress and to enjoy my life 😁
Jaina T22/02/2019
Beat Stress Like a Pro
We believe you can. Say "no" to stress with the InnerHour app.
References
Selye H. (1976) Stress without Distress. In: Serban G. (eds) Psychopathology of Human Adaptation. Springer, Boston, MA
Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998).
Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). New York, NY, US: Guilford Press.
Bränström, R., Kvillemo, P., Brandberg, Y., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2010). Self-report mindfulness as a mediator of psychological well-being in a stress reduction intervention for cancer patients—A randomized study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 39(2), 151–161.
Pourjali, F., & Zarnaghash, M. (2010). Relationships between assertiveness and the power of saying no with mental health among undergraduate student. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810022317#aep-abstract-id6
Miller F. E. (2001). Challenging and changing stress-producing thinking. The Western journal of medicine, 174(1), 49–50. doi:10.1136/ewjm.174.1.49
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