Coping with stress
Everyone experiences stress differently in different situations.
What are the signs of stress?
You might feel…
- Anxious
- Like your thoughts are racing and you can’t switch off
- Impatient or wound up
- A sense of dread
You might also…
- Find it hard to make decisions
- Worry constantly
- Feel unmotivated
- Feel restless, like you can’t sit still
- Feel tearful
Stress can affect us physically too. You may experience:
- Shallow breathing or hyperventilating
- Clenching your jaw
- Headaches
- Muscle tension
- Blurred eyesight.
What can I do to relieve stress?
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.
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.
Make a list of things you have to do. Arrange them in order of importance, and try to focus on the most urgent first.
Set smaller and more achievable targets – this can help to make you feel in more control and you can see your achievements more easily.
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.
Address 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 the issues that are putting pressure on you. You might find it helpful to read Mind’s 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.
If you need additional support…
You could join Mind’s online community, Side by Side, where you can meet and talk to people who may be experiencing similar feelings as you. Sharing experiences can be extremely beneficial and you might learn new ways on how to manage your feelings.
You could also register with Community Living Well, a free primary care mental health service which is available to anyone aged 16 and over and who is registered with a GP in Kensington & Chelsea, Queen’s Park or Paddington. Services include Talking Therapies (IAPT), Peer Support, Self-Care, Navigators, Employment and access to specialist mental health support.
(Source: Mind)
Author: Stewart Gillespie
Posted on: 31st October 2023
