How to manage stress

We are all bound to face stressful moments in life, and stress isn’t always necessarily a bad thing – but how can you manage it before it begins to damage your mental health and wellbeing?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Mind

What are the signs of stress?

We all experience stress differently in different situations. Sometimes you might be able to tell right away when you’re feeling under stress, but other times you might keep going without recognising the signs. Stress can affect you both emotionally and physically, and it can affect the way you behave. You might feel:

• irritable, aggressive, impatient or wound up;
• over-burdened;
• anxious, nervous or afraid;
• like your thoughts are racing and you can’t switch off;
• unable to enjoy yourself;
• depressed;
• uninterested in life;
• like you’ve lost your sense of humour;
• a sense of dread;
• worried about your health;
• neglected or lonely.

Some people who experience severe stress can sometimes have suicidal feelings. (See our pages on how to cope with suicidal feelings for more information.)

How you might behave

• finding it hard to make decisions;
• constantly worrying;
• avoiding situations that are troubling you;
• snapping at people;
• biting your nails;
• picking at your skin;
• unable to concentrate;
• eating too much or too little;
• smoking or drinking alcohol more than usual;
• restless, like you can’t sit still;
• being tearful or crying.

How you might be physically affected

• shallow breathing or hyperventilating;
• you might have a panic attack;
• muscle tension;
• blurred eyesight or sore eyes;
• problems getting to sleep, staying asleep or having nightmares;
• sexual problems, such as losing interest in sex or being unable to enjoy sex;
• tired all the time;
• grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw;
• headaches;
• chest pains;
• high blood pressure;
• indigestion or heartburn;
• constipation or diarrhoea;
• feeling sick, dizzy or fainting.

How can you deal with pressure?

There are various steps you can take to cope with being under pressure. Here are some tips that people have told us they find useful, but it’s important to remember that different things work for different people. Only try what you feel comfortable with.

Identify your triggers

Working out what triggers stress for you can help you anticipate problems and think of ways to solve them. Even if you can’t avoid these situations, being prepared can help. Take some time to reflect on events and feelings that could be contributing to your stress; you could do this on your own or with someone you trust. You could consider:

• Issues that come up regularly, and that you worry about – for example paying a bill or attending an appointment.
• One-off events that are on your mind a lot, such as moving house or taking an exam.
• Ongoing stressful events, like being a carer or having problems at work.

You might be surprised to find out just how much you’re coping with at once. Remember that not having enough work, activities or change in your life can be just as stressful as having too much to deal with.

Organise your time

Making some adjustments to the way you organise your time could help you feel more in control of any tasks you’re facing, and more able to handle pressure.

• Identify your best time of day, and do the important tasks that need the most energy and concentration at that time; for example, you might be a morning person or an evening person.
• Make a list of the things you have to do. Arrange them in order of importance, and try to focus on the most urgent first. Some people find creating a timetable useful, so they can plan when they can spend time on each task. If your tasks are work-related, ask a manager or colleague to help you prioritise; you may be able to push back some tasks until you’re feeling less stressed.
• Set smaller and more achievable targets. When you’re under a lot of pressure it’s easy to set yourself large targets that are often unachievable; this can make you feel more stressed and, if you don’t reach them, you may feel disappointed and frustrated. Setting smaller, more achievable, goals can make you feel in more control and you can see your achievements more easily.
• Vary your activities. Balance interesting tasks with more mundane ones, and stressful tasks with those you find easier or can do more calmly.
• Try not to do too much at once. If you take on too much, you might find it harder to do any individual task well; this can make you feel like you have even more pressure on you.
• Take breaks and take things slowly. It might be difficult to do this when you’re stressed, but it can make you more productive.
• Ask someone if they can help. For example, you could ask a friend or family member to help with some of your daily tasks so that you have more time to spend completing the tasks that are causing you to feel stressed.

Addresss some of the causes

Although there will probably lots of things in your life that you can’t do anything about, there might still be some practical ways you could to resolve, or improve, some of theissues that are putting pressure on you. You might find it helpful to read our information on:

Housing and finances

• housing and mental health; 
• money and mental health; 
• benefits; 
• insurance cover.

Work and student life

• wellbeing at work;
• discrimination at work (these pages explain your legal rights under the Equality Act);
• coping with student life. 

Family and personal life

• coping when supporting someone else; 
• coping as a parent with a mental health problem; 
• abuse;
• addiction and dependency; 

Accept the things you can’t change

It’s not easy, but accepting that there are some things happening to you that you probably can’t do anything about will help you focus your time and energy more productively.