How to manage stress
There are many practical steps you can take to help relieve stress and the impact it holds on your life, from changes in lifestyle and looking after yourself mentally, to building a support network that helps you cope under pressure.
The techniques listed below will have different degrees of effectiveness from person-to-person. Our stress management courses are about helping people finding the practices that work for them, and how to use them regularly to gradually build an emotional resilience to stressful situations.
Here are some ways you can manage and release stress to improve your well-being:
Adapt Your Lifestyle
- Get things down on paper – if your stress is related to time management, writing to-do lists and getting better control over your calendar can help you feel under less pressure to complete tasks or get overwhelmed with too many things to do at once.
- Practise assertiveness – if people make unreasonable requests that are a source of stress, developing your ability to stand up for yourself can take burdens off your shoulders.
- Develop interests & hobbies – embracing activities and pastimes that get you away from stressful situations can release the pressure, and help you meet new people with like-minded interests.
- Take holidays/breaks – if the rigours of day-to-day life are the source of stress, getting away to a new environment, or even reducing device use with some time outside, can prevent stress levels from becoming too high or constant.
Improve Your Physical Health
- Get more active – exercise in any form is valuable for our physical and mental well-being, whether it’s a gym session, yoga or regular walks outside.
- Eat healthy – stress can lead us to skipping meals, or eating more things that are bad for us. Maintaining a diet that is balanced and consistent can be a big help in stress reduction.
- Sleep regularly – with stress often resulting in lack of sleep or restlessness, fixing your bed routine and getting 7-8 hours of sleep can reduce feelings of stress – mindfulness exercises can be a big help if you’re struggling to get some sleep.
- Minimise drinking & smoking – while these are seen to reduce stress at the time of being consumed, using alcohol or cigarettes to cope with stress can make the problem worse, as well as result in further long-term health problems.
Practise Meditative Techniques
- Practise deep breathing – calming breathing exercises gives your body more oxygen and slows your heart rate, helping to reduce feelings of stress naturally.
- Take time to relax – when you have the opportunity, prioritise self-care and find a space where you can relax, unwind and let release pressures from your thoughts.
- Explore mindfulness – taking time to be more aware of the present moment and how we are feeling helps put stressful events into perspective, as well as escape negative thoughts of the past and future.
- Download meditation apps – there are many free apps that can help you practise meditation and empower your ability to manage stress.
Be Kind to Yourself
- Reward your achievements – we can often take our accomplishments for granted. When you do something well, giving yourself a reward improves your self-esteem and associates good work with benefits.
- Forgive yourself for mistakes – Nobody’s perfect, and we all make mistakes. Taking steps to forgive yourself and making things right where possible reduces the stress these mistakes give you in later life.
- Challenge yourself – set yourself achievable goals and challenges that encourage you to grow and become a more emotionally resilient person.
- Accept some things are beyond your control – this isn’t easy for everyone, but recognising that there are things you can’t influence reduces the stress these cause you and allows you to focus on things you can control.
Grow Your Support Network
- Talk to your friends & family – sometimes the best help comes from home. Just speaking to the people you’re closest to about the pressures your facing can be a huge relief.
- Get support at work & school – talking about your problems to your manager, supervisor or teacher is not a sign of weakness; they are concerned about your well-being, and can help find solutions for your stress.
- Speak to your GP – if you feel unable to cope with feelings of stress, speaking to your GP can help you find relevant support and treatments, as well as prescriptions where necessary.
- Access stress therapy – stress therapy and stress management courses can be effective ways to talk through your problems and develop regular techniques to manage stress in challenging circumstances.
What treatments are there for stress?
Stress isn’t a medical diagnosis, meaning there are no specific treatments that can be applied to ‘cure’ it. Instead, if you are struggling to cope with persistent feelings of stress and pressure, there are a variety of stress treatments that help you manage your condition.
Stress Therapy
Speaking to a therapist or other qualified professional can help determine the cause of your stress, explore your various thoughts and feelings, and outline practical steps to help control stress levels.
Here at Therapy For You, we offer access to a mix of one-on-one and online stress management courses in Essex, as well as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Through these, you discover more about stress as a condition, identify your own personal trigger points, and develop the techniques that help relieve stress and reduce its negative impact on your life.
Medication
Different types of medication can help reduce the signs of stress and the symptoms they cause. Of course, it is important to consult with your GP and learn all the facts about any medication you are considering before you take them, ensuring you are aware of any side effects.
Ecotherapy
Ecotherapy embraces the use of the outdoors and green spaces to improve your well-being and self-esteem, from exercising outdoors to taking part in conservation projects.
Alternative Therapies
Alternatives to the above stress therapies and treatments can also prove effective in minimising the impact pressure has. These include:
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Acupuncture
- Aromatherapy
- Massage
What if my friend is suffering from stress?
If a friend or family member is suffering from severe or chronic stress, it can be difficult to feel what they’re going through, or indeed change their perspective. But, there are several practical ways you can make a difference in how they’re feeling, supporting their journey to stress relief.
Listen
If they share with you how they are feeling or what is causing them stress, allow them to talk openly and listen to their concerns without judgment or ridicule.
Reassure
Give your friend encouragement that what is causing them stress can and will change over time, and that you’re there for them during this difficult period.
Identify
While remaining open-minded and non-judgmental, you might be able to pick up on triggers that are causing a loved one to feel stressed before they do.
Practise
Either by helping them track or joining them with their activities, encourage them to practise their relaxation and breathing techniques.
Help
If they’re struggling significantly with stress, urge them to contact their GP or reach out for stress therapy to help resolve their problems.