Best Ways to deal with stress

Stress is naturally how we deal with many situations in life. A little stress is normal, motivating, even. But too much of it can lead to a decline in mental health and even burnout. It can also affect our physical wellbeing too.

The Priory Group found that 74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point over the past year, that they’ve felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. When it comes to work, work-related stress is a big topic. The same survey also found that stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for 46% of all work-related ill health cases, and 54% of all working days lost due to ill health in 2023/24.

While certain stressors are inevitable, how can we keep stress at bay, deal with pressure, build resilience and better handle stress when it crops up?

What is stress?

Stress is a natural human response to external stimuli that manifests physically and/or emotionally – depending on the situation. It tends to crop up when we are under pressure, are facing a difficult situation or one where we don’t feel any control. It effects individuals differently. Some may have a natural aversion to stress, while others may find it more difficult to deal with.

But how does it actually happen? When you deem a situation to be stressful (such as a presentation at work, an argument or a bill you have to pay), your body releases certain hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that place you in a stressful mindset. Depending on the situation, this can be short-lived. However, if the situation has a profound affect or lasts a duration of time, you may become prone to negative mental and physical affects as a result such as trouble sleeping, headaches and/or poor concentration.

What are the symptoms of stress? 

We briefly touched upon some symptoms of stress. Here are some more of the common and uncommon symptoms that can indicate you’re feeling stressed:

• Difficulty concentrating

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Irritability and mood swings

• Poor sleep quality or sleeping too much

• Over or under eating

• Anxiety, worry and rumination (overthinking)

• In some cases, substance abuse

• Poor energy levels

• A racing heartbeat

• Stomach upsets

• Headaches

• Muscle tension

What causes stress? 

There are many common situations that cause stress. Though what may be a stressful situation for one individual may be trivial to another. Other factors can also cause a non-stressful situation to become so. For example, if you have a presentation at work coming up that you’re feeling confident about, but are experiencing relationship troubles, this may cause the upcoming presentation to become stressful.

Here are some situations that could cause stress:

1. Work-life balance

Having a poor work-life balance can cause an individual to feel stressed. For example, if you feel you need to work longer hours, barely have time for your own activities and feel as though work is eating into your personal time on a regular basis, then this could be the leading cause of stress.

2. Finances

Debt, rent, mortgages, unexpected bills and even social events and celebrations can create financial stress. This is especially true with the uncertainty around the cost of living in the UK, and without the right support, financial worries can get on top of us at the worst of times.

3. Relationships

Arguments, breakups, illnesses and even bereavements can cause a lot of stress, particularly if it’s to do with friends and family. We want the best for our loved ones, and when we see they’re going through a hard time, this can take up a lot of space in our thoughts and cause feelings of stress if they aren’t managed.

4. Isolation

Feeling isolated socially and in work can cause feelings of stress to arise. You may feel worried about how you’re coming across or are dealing with a stressful situation elsewhere that’s making you feel as though you need to isolate yourself from others. Workplace bullying may cause additional stress, and naturally, isolation is often the resort one takes if they’re doing through this.

5. Job stability

Wondering if our job is secure is bound to cause feelings of stress, as does searching for a new role upon being made redundant or dismissed. In a world where hiring practices and job seeking is more volatile than ever, it’s no wonder feelings of stress and worry are on the rise.

6. Home life

Problems in a place associated with relaxation and personal time can affect our work-life balance, and hence our stress levels. This is particularly relevant for those living with others and may be having some form of conflict. Whether it’s relationship, family or friendship troubles at home, these issues can spill into other areas of our lives, particularly if they’re on-going.

7. Existing health conditions

Sadly, existing health issues and concerns can inhibit our ability to bounce back from certain stressful situations. Some individuals may also find it stressful that a condition they have hinders them from doing something they want to do. Not having the accommodations or adjustments made in the workplace can also be frustrating and add to stress levels.

What is the best way to deal with stress? 

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to dealing with stress. However, there are various routes you can take and things you can try to deal with stress and improve your resilience.

1. Identify the cause of stress

You can’t tackle stress without identifying the root cause. When you begin to notice the feelings of stress, stop and think about what triggered it in the first place. Is it a one-off? Was it stemmed off an on-going issue? When you’ve identified what’s causing you stress, you can seek appropriate action to address and resolve it.

2. Consider lifestyle changes

Stress can arise when we don’t look after our wellbeing. Has an area of self-care fallen off the wayside recently? If it has, how can you slowly re-introduce it to your routine to help lessen the feelings of stress?

For example, regular exercise can be one of the first things to go when you’re feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed. But stopping it altogether can exacerbate how you feel. Physical activity has been strongly linked to improved wellbeing – so find small ways you can re-introduce it. Even something as simple as short walks or quick home workouts can make a huge difference.

Other small but impactful lifestyle changes could involve:

• Adding healthier snacks or meals to your day

• Reducing alcohol intake (and other substances) slowly

• Adding hydration – water, herbal teas, fruit-juices

• Reducing caffeine

• Prioritising sleep and even adding naps if necessary

• Incorporating mindfulness and breathing techniques to ground yourself

• Breaking health goals down into smaller, achievable steps

3. Address stress with your manager

If the stress you’re experiencing is affecting work, no matter what the reasons may be, then informing your manager may be a good approach. They may be able to offer support or point you in the right direction to seek it elsewhere.

If the stress is caused by the job itself, being overworked or something else at work, then definitely addressing it with management may be able to offer some relief. If you find that they aren’t willing to give reasonable adjustments if you have a disability that’s affecting your stress levels, it’s worth reminding them of The Equality Act 2010, that your disability is a protected characteristic, and that legally they have a duty of care for your wellbeing.

4. Address stress with loved ones

It’s all too easy to internalise our feelings in front of the people we care about. If you feel comfortable doing so, it’s definitely worth opening up about how you feel to them. They may be able to offer you encouragement, give you space, or even accompany you to appointments with a doctor or counsellor.

5. Improve your sleep quality

Sleep affects our mental health, our concentration, mood and much more. Find ways to improve your sleep quality, particularly if you need to get a few more hours in:

• Don’t use devices a couple of hours before bedtime

• If you can’t sleep, get up and do something until you feel sleep enough to return to bed again

• Journal any worries that may be keeping you up at night

• Try not to have caffeinated drinks in the evenings

• Avoid heavy meals right before bedtime

• Create a restful sleeping environment – use blackout curtains, replace worn-out bedding, use sleep aids and/or aromatherapy oils designed to facilitate sleep like lavender or chamomile.

6. Practice self-compassion

Self-compassion is all about normalising how you’re feeling and cutting yourself some slack when you’re having negative feelings associated with stress. Recognise that what your feeling is normal, many others have experienced how you feel and managed to get through the other side. You can practice self-compassion by incorporating positive self-talk and firmly believe you aren’t alone in how you’re feeling.

7. Incorporate self-care

Self-care isn’t elaborate skincare routines and bubble baths. It can be as simple as cancelling plans to take time for yourself in the evening or making yourself a nice dinner. Self-care is important for our wellbeing and can contribute to reducing stressful feelings. You can incorporate self-care by asking yourself what will make you feel better in the moment and/or later in the day. Do you need to cancel certain plans to make time for yourself? Do you have time to take a short nature walk? The possibilities are endless – simply experiment and find self-care methods that work for you.

8. Seek support

Sometimes stress can be unmanageable. Before it can progress and make you feel worse, it’s worth seeking professional support from your GP or a counsellor. Your workplace may have an Employee Assistance Programme that can give you access to a counsellor – it’s a great employee benefit that may even get you the help you need much sooner.

Stress and resilience – factors to consider

Resilience is all about how we bounce back from situations that may cause stress or pressure. This varies per individual, based on things like life experiences, mental health and any health conditions they may have.

We mentioned previously that stress is unique to everyone. Some aspects may be harder to bounce back from, and this why building resilience is incredibly important.

In the same breath, there may be barriers to resilience that need to be considered. It’s easy to be dismissive and say, “try yoga”, but additional support from a qualified professional may be necessary in order to facilitate building resilience to stressors in yours or a friend’s/colleague’s life:

• Having a disability

• Being discriminated against due to your race, gender, sex

• Having little to no support system

• Having money problems

• Being a single parent or guardian

• Being a carer

• Living in poverty

• Not having access to the care you need

How can HA | Wisdom Wellbeing support when you’re feeling stressed?

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing may well be available at your place of work. We’re the UK’s number one EAP service provider, meaning we’re highly accessible and provide some of the best services to offer. Our EAP grants you access to a counsellor 24/7, 365 days a year. So, when stressful times or worries arise at night, you’re able to reach out for support at any time of day. We’re also able to help with supporting you in finding financial and legal advice if you are experiencing stress in these areas.

Have access to the Wisdom App? Our app Wisdom allows you to track your mood over time. So, if you’re planning on implementing some lifestyle changes to get you back on track, you can monitor your progress and spot trends that affect your mood over time.

Conclusion

Dealing with stress is never easy. By knowing the signs and following our tips, you can be on the road to building resilience against stress. It’s important to identify what triggers feelings of stress in the first place and understand that we all experience stress at varying degrees. Through self-compassion, patience and seeking advice, you can bounce back and build healthy coping strategies to deal with stress in the long run.