Stress Levels: How Much Support Do You Need

As the inverted triangle shows, the level of support needed increases significantly with the level of stress.  

  1. Level 1 stress requires little support as your life is well in hand.  You are able to invest in and provide support to others.
  2. Level 2 stress requires some informal support, usually in the form of connection with family, friends, faith community, mentors and informal conversations with peers. You are able to invest in and support others, but to a lesser degree.
  3. Level 3 stress requires more deliberate support.  At this point your informal supports will include connections family, friends, faith community, mentors and informal conversations with peers. They need to be more deliberate and more actively engaged.  Certain kinds of challenges will need professional help, but this is on an ‘as needed’ basis.  At this point your ability to support others is becoming limited and happens as you are receiving support.
  4. Level 4 stress requires active and deliberate support.  At this point your informal supports are fully engaged and starting to show strains.  You will need to broaden your informal and professional support network.  Your professional help will need to be ongoing and coordinated.  Those in your informal support networks may need to be seeking support themselves to help them manage their role in your life.  You will be expending financial and time resources to address what is going on.  You are largely unable to support or invest in others.
  5. Level 5 stress requires intense and coordinated support.  You may need the support of institutions, not for profit organisations, the health system, the criminal justice system, legal aid, and others.  You will likely be on stress leave, health leave or unemployed and may need to go on unemployment or disability.  Significant financial and time resources are needed to survive and grow out of this level of stress.  You are unable to provide support to others.

 

Learn More About Stress Awareness 

 

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