Mental Health Awareness Week, important for increasing public understanding of mental health and how problems can be prevented, is being celebrated from 15 to 21 May 2023. This year's theme is 'anxiety'.

We have been looking at what we can contribute to help reduce anxiety, and as we recently created resources for Stress Awareness Month, we also asked the question: “What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?’

According to the NHS, anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear. The vast majority of us experience mild anxiety at some point in life: exams or tests, interviews, bringing up children, financial issues, relationship issues, struggles at work, for example.  This is completely normal and part of what makes us human. 

Under stress, people experience symptoms (both mental and physical) including irritability, anger, tiredness, muscle aches and pains, problems with digestion and insomnia. Problem anxiety is where these feelings don't go away, even when the trigger for the worries has passed, when worries are hard to control, feelings of anxiety are constant and it affects our daily lives, it becomes an issue.

We don’t want to be ‘ambulance chasing' on this blog. We’re not going to pretend that having things in storage is suddenly going to cure anxiety in most cases. So we thought we’d just flag up some resources that we’ve already created, in the hope that we can help somehow ease some anxiety:

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1. Clutter

Clutter can create environmental stress and anxiety. easyStorage has an entire ‘Living’ channel containing advice on decluttering, and identifying problem areas: easyStorage Living, Decluttering.

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2. Death

Whilst storage can often help deal with the stress of a loved one dying by deferring making decisions whilst funeral arrangements are made and by giving people space and time to make decisions, true ‘death anxiety’ – the overwhelming fear of death – is unlikely to be eased this way. This is a terrible thing to be living with, and you should seek professional help. Your doctor is a great place to start.

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3. Separation and Divorce

Divorce gives rise to a whole host of feelings. It’s well-known that divorce is one of life’s most stressful life events and feelings of anxiety are normal. 

Divorce anxiety is the term used for the feelings of uncertainty and fear that many suffer in the course of the divorce - completely normal when facing big life changes and a range of emotions from loss to anger, from pressure to get things sorted to concern over finances.

easyStorage has a ‘Living’ channel containing advice and ideas on the ways that storage may help some people manage their divorce/separation more easily.

It may not take away the pain, but it can often help manage the situation a little better.

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4. Retirement

Retirement sounds like the end to stress, but despite having worked hard for it, retirement can be a cause of anxiety. One ongoing study has revealed that those in the first year of retirement are about 40 percent more likely to experience a heart attack or stroke than those who keep working.

easyStorage has an entire ‘Living’ channel containing advice for retirement and adapting to the new role demanded of your home. It may not be able to give you back the daily cut and thrust, but it may have some suggestions to help move to a new phase in your life: easyStorage Living, Retirement.

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5.    Moving Home

Moving home can be expensive. The logistics and nothing more than communication can add pressure to already time stretched schedules. And we are doing this against a backdrop of trying to keep life running smoothly, and maybe even some big life changes like divorce or downsizing.

Small surprise then that moving house is regularly noted by experts as one of the most stressful events in life.

Again, easyStorage has a ‘Living’ channel full of advice and suggestions that may help alleviate some of the practical issues, perhaps helping prevent the inevitable stress from becoming anxiety: easyStorage Living, Moving. 

Getting help

While we do go to great lengths to ensure that our franchisees are selected as much for their empathy as for their business acumen and ability to deliver, they are here to help with the practical.

Of course, at easyStorage we can only help reduce some of the stressors that might lead to anxiety and hope that some of our research and ideas may help reduce stress.

The organisers of Mental Health Awareness Week have created a guide to help find the support you need if anxiety is causing you distress: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/get-help.