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How to manage and reduce stress

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Here, we would like to start, by giving you an introduction to what stress is, what the
signs of stress are, what simple steps you can take when feeling stressed and
provide practical advice for preventing it, to show why we are passionate about
moving towards a less stressed nation.

What is stress?
Stress is a feeling of being under abnormal pressure. This pressure can come from di erent
aspects of your day to day life. Such as an increased workload, a transitional period, an
argument you have with your family or new and existing nancial worries. You may nd that
it has a cumulative e ect, with each stressor building on top of one another.

During these situations you may feel threatened or upset and your body might create a
stress response. This can cause a variety of physical symptoms, change the way you
behave, and lead you to experience more intense emotions.5

Stress a ects us in a number of ways, both physically and emotionally and in varying
intensities.1

How can I identify the signs of stress?

Everyone experiences stress. However, when it is a ecting your life, health and
wellbeing, it is important to tackle it as soon as possible, and while stress a ects
everyone di erently, there are common signs and symptoms you can look out for:15

feelings of constant worry or anxiety

feelings of being overwhelmed
di culty concentrating
mood swings or changes in your mood
irritability or having a short temper
di culty relaxing
depression
low self-esteem
eating more or less than usual
changes in your sleeping habits
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using alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs to relax

aches and pains, particularly muscle tension
diarrhoea and constipation
feelings of nausea or dizziness
loss of sex drive.

If you are experiencing these symptoms for a prolonged period, and feel they are a ecting
your everyday life or are making you feel unwell, you should speak to your GP. You can ask
for information about the support services and treatments available to you.

Find out more about stress in our A-Z guide

Three steps to take when feeling stressed

 
1. Realise when it is causing you a problem
Try to make the connection between feeling tired or ill and the pressures you are faced with
Look out for physical warnings such as tense muscles, over-tiredness, headaches or
migraines38
2. Identify the causes
Try to identify the underlying causes
Sort the possible reasons for your stress into three categories 1) those with a practical solution
2) those that will get better given time and 3) those you can’t do anything about
Try to release the worry of those in the second and third groups and let them go
3. Review your lifestyle
Could you be taking on too much?
Are there things you are doing which could be handed over to someone else?
Can you do things in a more leisurely way?
To act on the answer to these questions, you may need to prioritise things you are trying to
achieve and re-organise your life
This will help to release pressure that can come from trying to do everything at once

Seven steps to help protect yourself from stress

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1. Eat healthily
Eating healthily can reduce the risks of diet-related diseases39
There is a growing amount of evidence showing how food a ects our mood40 and how eating
healthily can improve this
You can protect your feelings of wellbeing by ensuring that your diet provides adequate
amounts of brain nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals, as well as water41
2. Be aware of smoking and drinking alcohol
Try not to, or reduce the amount you smoke and drink alcohol
Even though they may seem to reduce tension initially, this is misleading as they often make
problems worse42
3. Exercise
Try and integrate physical exercise into your lifestyle as it can be very e ective in relieving
stress
Even just going out and getting some fresh air, and taking some light physical exercise, like
going for a walk to the shops can really help43
4.Take time out
Take time to relax
Strike the balance between responsibility to others and responsibility to yourself, this can really
reduce stress levels
Tell yourself that it is okay to prioritise self-care · Are you needing time out but saying 'I just
can't take the time o ', if so read more about how taking a break is important for good mental
health
5. Be mindful
Mindfulness is a mind-body approach to life that helps us to relate di erently to experiences. It
involves paying attention to our thoughts and feelings in a way that increases our ability to
manage di cult situations and make wise choices
Try to practice mindfulness regularly
Mindfulness meditation can be practiced anywhere at any time
Research has suggested that it can reduce the e ects of stress, anxiety and related problems
such as insomnia, poor concentration and low moods, in some people44
Our Be Mindful website features a specially developed online course in mindfulness, as well as
details of local courses in your area
6. Get some restful sleep
Are you nding you are struggling to sleep? This is a common problem when you’re stressed45
Could your physical or mental health be impacting your ability to sleep?
Could you amend your environment to help improve your sleep?
Could you get up instead of staying in bed when your mind is worrying at night?
Could you make small changes to your lifestyle to help your get a restful sleep?

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For full details on tips on getting a good night’s sleep read our guide How to sleep
better and ten top tips for good sleep
7. Don’t be too hard on yourself
Try to keep things in perspective.
Remember that having a bad day is a universal human experience
When your inner critic or an outer critic nds faults, try and nd truth and exception to what is
being said
If you stumble or feel you have failed, don’t beat yourself up
Act as if you were your own best friend: be kind and supportive
Take a few minutes each day to appreciate yourself

Now, we would like to move on to a more detailed look at the causes and e ects of stress. In
this section we will focus on the e ects prolonged stress has on your body, behaviour and
emotions, and look at key causes such as relationships, money, work, alcohol and drug use.

Can stress be positive?

Research has shown that stress can sometimes be positive. It can make you more alert and
help you perform better in certain situations.2 However, stress has only been found to be
bene cial if it is short-lived.

Excessive or prolonged stress can contribute to illness such as heart disease3 and mental
health problems such as anxiety and depression.4

What can prolonged stress lead to?

Stress is a natural reaction to many situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and
money problems.

We mentioned earlier on that a moderate amount of stress can help us perform better in
challenging situations,34 but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems.
This can include lower immunity levels,35 digestive and intestinal di culties, e.g. irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS),36 or mental health problems such as depression.3 This means it is
important to manage your stress and keep it at a healthy level to prevent long-term damage
to your body and mind.
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What happens to my body when I experience stress?

People react di erently to stress. Some common symptoms of stress include sleeping
problems, sweating or a change in appetite.6,7

Symptoms like these are triggered by a rush of stress hormones in your body which, when
released, allow you to deal with pressures or threats. This is known as the ' ght or ight'
response.

Hormones called adrenaline and noradrenaline raise your blood pressure, increase your
heart rate and increase the rate at which you perspire. This prepares your body for an
emergency response.8 These hormones can also reduce blood ow to your skin and reduce
your stomach activity. Cortisol, another stress hormone, releases fat and sugar into your
system to boost your energy.9

As a result, you may experience headaches, muscle tension, pain, nausea, indigestion and
dizziness. You may also breathe more quickly, have palpitations or su er from various aches
and pains. In the long-term, you may be putting yourself at risk from heart attacks and
stroke.10

All these changes are your body’s way of making it easier for you to ght or run away and
once the pressure or threat has passed, your stress hormone levels will usually return to
normal.11 However, if you’re constantly under stress, these hormones remain in your body,
leading to the symptoms of stress. If you’re stuck in a busy o ce or on an overcrowded train,
you can’t ght or run away, so you can’t use up the chemicals your own body makes to
protect you. Over time, the build-up of these chemicals and the changes they produce can
be damaging for your health.12

What are the behavioural and emotional e ects of stress?

When you are stressed you may experience many di erent feelings, including anxiety,
irritability or low self-esteem, which can lead to becoming withdrawn, indecisive and
tearful.13

You may experience periods of constant worry, racing thoughts, or repeatedly go over the
same things in your head. You may experience changes in your behaviour. You may lose

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your temper more easily, act irrationally or become more verbally or physically aggressive.14
These feelings can feed on each other and produce physical symptoms, which can make
you feel even worse. For example, extreme anxiety can make you feel so unwell, that you
then worry you have a serious physical condition.

What causes stress?

All sorts of situations can cause stress. The most common involve work, money matters and
relationships with partners, children or other family members.

Stress may be caused either by major upheavals and life events such as divorce,
unemployment, moving house and bereavement, or by a series of minor irritations such as
feeling undervalued at work or arguing with a family member.16Sometimes, there are no
obvious causes.

Relationships and stress

Relationships are a great support in times when we feel stressed. However, from time to
time the people close to you, be it a partner, parent, child, friend or colleague, can increase
your stress levels.17

Relationships, the missing piece of the wellbeing puzzle

We explored relationships for Mental Health Awareness Week 2016 and how good
relationships are vital for our mental health. Watch our animation now:

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Relationships: the missing piece of the …

Events such as ongoing minor arguments and disagreements, to larger family crises, such
as an a air, illness or bereavement are likely to a ect the way you think, feel and behave.
This may consequently have an impact on your stress levels.

Read our guide to investing in your relationships

Work-life balance and stress

The pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is one of the biggest
contributors to stress among the general population.18

While traditional working hours are 37 hours a week, the recent and dramatic rise in Britain’s
working hours suggests this is likely to increase. 20.1% of the UK working population work 45
hours or more per week.19

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The human costs of unmanaged work related stress is extensive. Feeling unhappy about the
amount of time you spend at work and neglecting other aspects of life because of work
may increase your vulnerability to stress. Increased levels of stress can, if not addressed
early enough, lead to burn-out or more severe mental health problems.

Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, are thought to be the leading cause of
work absences, accounting for up to 40% of sickness leave.20 In 2008, mental health
accounted for 442,000 cases of work-related illnesses and has had an estimated cost of 13.5
million.21 As a result, mental ill health now accounts for a signi cant proportion of long-term
sickness and early retirement, cited as the leading cause of illness for 20% of NHS
employees.22

Money and stress

Money and debt concerns place huge pressure on us, so it comes as no surprise that they
have a marked e ect on our stress levels.

The e ects of the economic crisis have a ected everyone in some capacity. Recent statistics
from StepChange Debt Charity found an increased demand of 56% for debt advice and
support from 2012-2014.23 Citizens Advice have seen a similar increase in the number of
people experiencing stress about nances, dealing with 6,407 debt problems every working
day.24

A survey conducted in 2013 found that 42% of those seeking debt help had been prescribed
medication by their GP to help them cope, while 76% of those in a couple said debt had
a ected their relationship.25

The combination of chronic stress and debt can result in depression and anxiety,26 and has
been highlighted as a factor linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts.27

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Helpful organisations for money worries

It is important if you are worried about your nances and debts that you do not try to
deal with them alone. There is a lot of help and support available to you through
organisations such as Step Change and Citizens Advice.

You should also talk to your GP or a trusted health professional if you are worried about
how debt is a ecting your mental and physical health.

Smoking, drinking and drug use and stress

You might nd that you smoke, drink alcohol or use recreational drugs to reduce stress.
However, this often makes problems worse.28

Research shows that smoking may increase feelings of anxiety.29 Nicotine creates an
immediate, temporary, sense of relaxation, which can then lead to withdrawal symptoms
and cravings.

Similarly, you may use alcohol as a means to manage and cope with di cult feelings, and to
temporarily reduce feelings of anxiety. However, alcohol may make existing mental health
problems worse. It can make you feel more anxious and depressed in the long run.30 It is
important to know the recommended limits31 and drink responsibly.

Prescription drugs, such as tranquillisers and sleeping tablets, which may have been
prescribed for very good reasons, can also cause mental and physical health problems if
used for long periods of time.32 Street drugs, such as cannabis or ecstasy, are usually taken
for recreational purposes. For some people, problems start as their bodies get used to
repeated use of the drug. This leads to the need for increased doses to maintain the same
e ect.33

How can you help yourself?

Stress is a natural reaction to many situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and
money problems.

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We mentioned earlier on that a moderate amount of stress can help us perform better in
challenging situations,34 but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems.
This can include lower immunity levels,35 digestive and intestinal di culties, e.g. irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS),36 or mental health problems such as depression.37 It is therefore
important that we manage our stress and keep it at a healthy level to prevent long-term
damage to our bodies and minds.

Remember to seek help and support when you need it

Remember, that it is okay to ask for professional help. If you feel that you are struggling to
manage on your own, then you can reach out. It is important to know that you can get help
as soon as possible, and that you deserve to get better.

The rst person to approach is your family doctor. He or she should be able to give advice
about treatment, and may refer you to another local professional. Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy (this is a type of therapy that works by helping you to understand that your
thoughts and actions can a ect the way you feel) and Mindfulness based approaches are
known to help reduce stress. There are also a number of voluntary organisations which can
help you to tackle the causes of stress and advise you about ways to get better.

Anxiety UK 

Anxiety UK runs a helpline sta ed by volunteers with personal experience of anxiety from
9:30-5:30, Monday to Friday. Call 08444 775 774. 

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice provides free, independent and con dential advice for a range of problems
as well as providing information on your rights and responsibilities.

StepChange

StepChange provides help and information for people dealing with a range of debt
problems. Freephone (including from mobiles) 0800 138 1111.

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Mind Infoline 

Mind provides information on a range of mental health topics to support people in their own
area from 9.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. Call 0300 123 3393 or email
[email protected].

Rethink Advice and Information Service 

Rethink provide speci c solution-based guidance - 0300 5000927 Fax: 020 7820 1149
email [email protected].

Samaritans

Samaritans o er emotional support 24 hours a day - in full con dence. Call 116 123 or email
[email protected].

Specialist mental health services

There are a number of specialist services that provide various treatments, including
counselling and other talking treatments. Often these di erent services are coordinated by a
community mental health team (CMHT), which is usually based either at a hospital or a local
community mental health centre. Some teams provide 24-hour services so that you can
contact them in a crisis. You should be able to contact your local CMHT through your local
social services or social work team.

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3 Kivimaki, M., Virtanen, M., Elovainio, M., Kouvonen, A., Vaananen, A. & Vahtera, J. (2006).
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