THIS week is stress awareness week, and Barnsley Hospital has released a guide to help residents to beat the stress, and to stay calm.

The first step to feeling less stressed is to identify the cause – and to avoid turning to unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking to help you to cope.

Below are the tips that can help you to beat stress:

  • Be active – this can reduce the intensity of feeling stressed and can make you more calm

  • Connect with people – Having a good support network can help ease your troubles, and provide you someone to talk to

  • Have some 'me time' – Setting aside some time to do what you really enjoy will improve your mood

  • Avoid unhealthy habits – Alcohol, smoking, or excessive caffeine can make you feel worse in the long run

A spokesperson for the hospital said: “A Healthy Mind is a balanced mental and emotional state which allows a person to be productive during their day, contributing meaningfully to the community they live in.

“When the balance is disrupted, it can be difficult to function positively. Coping with life stresses can become challenging and activities, that at other times may have seemed easy, can now seem daunting. “