Feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or constantly running on empty? You’re not alone. In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become a daily companion for many of us—quietly impacting our sleep, energy levels, mood, and even physical health.

Today, we’re diving into the real effects of stress on the body and mind, and exploring practical, evidence-based strategies to manage it. From understanding how hormones like cortisol play a role, to recognizing early signs of burnout, we’ll unpack the science and psychology of stress.

We’ll also talk about the importance of self-care, social connection, and new approaches like social prescribing that go beyond traditional medical treatment.

Joining us is seasoned specialist in stress management, lifestyle health, and social prescribing who is our Health Promotion Nurse Specialist at St John of God University Hospital, Denise McGinley.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

• Recognising the early signs of stress on your body and mind
• How cortisol impacts sleep, appetite, digestion and focus.
• The difference between healthy stress and harmful burnout
• Mindfulness, lifestyle tweaks, and everyday self-care routines to manage stress
• Social prescribing as a non-medical intervention to support emotional wellbeing

GUEST DETAILS

Denise Mc Ginley is the Health Promotion Nurse Specialist at St John of God University Hospital.

https://ie.linkedin.com/in/denise-mc-ginley-5714b131b

MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about the work of the St John of God University Hospital visit stjohnofgodhospital.ie

QUOTES

• It's important to look at the mind-body connection. There is something going on in your brain that causes you to feel stressed, and that, in turn, has a physical effect on your body. - Denise McGinley
• When we feel stressed, we have this excess amount of cortisol running around our bodies. That can have an impact on our sleep, how we eat and poor concentration. - Denise McGinley
• It's really important to know yourself and know your own body and mind. - Denise McGinley
• From a health promotion perspective, prevention is the big thing. - Denise McGinley

KEYWORDS

#stress #burnout #mentalhealth #physicalhealth #cortisol #mindfulness #sleep #socialprescribing, #wellbeing