Stress is the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. It's very common, can be motivating to help us achieve things in our daily life, and can help us meet the demands of home, work and family life.
But too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our relationships – especially when it feels out of our control. It can make us feel anxious and irritable, and affect our self-esteem.
Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period of time can also lead to a feeling of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, often called burnout.
Identifying stress patterns
Stress can affect everyone differently. Sometimes, we cannot avoid stress and stressful situations, but understanding what makes you stressed and how it affects you can help you to better manage these feelings and reduce your stress levels.
Top tips to deal with stress and burnout
Split up big tasks: If a task seems overwhelming and difficult to start, try breaking it down into easier chunks, and give yourself credit for completing them.
Allow yourself some positivity
Take time to think about the good things in your life. Each day, consider what went well and try to list 3 things you're thankful for.
Be more active: Being active can help you to burn off nervous energy. It will not make your stress disappear, but it can make it less intense.
Talk to someone: Trusted friends, family and colleagues, or contacting a helpline, can help us when we are struggling.
Plan ahead: Planning out any upcoming stressful days or events – a to-do list, the journey you need to do, things you need to take – can really help. Also if you know doing specific things cause you stress, can you plan activities or time out to provide relief afterwards
Eat healthily: There is growing evidence of how food affects our mood, and how eating healthily can improve this
Keep hydrated: Aim to drink 6-8 glasses
Regular breaks: Take time to relax, and priories self-care
Good sleeping patterns: Reduce technology an hour before bed, and try a 10-minute breathing exercise to wind-down
Reduce Smoking and Alcohol
Be Kind: Having a bad day is normal, try to keep things in perspective. Take a few minutes to appreciate yourself
Calming down when feeling overwhelmed
We can help manage feelings of anxiousness or being agitated by finding ways to calm our minds and bodies.
Maybe try this breathing exercise to manage the feeling quickly:
Sit somewhere quiet where you can feel safe and relaxed.
Think of a colour you associate with negative feelings – maybe grey, or red.
As you breathe out, imagine you are breathing out that colour like a cloud.
Now think of a colour that symbolises positive feelings – maybe green, or yellow.
As you breathe in, imagine you are breathing in that positive colour, filling your lungs.
Do this for at least five breaths.
Have a look at our resources to see how you can look after yourself
