As April’s Stress Awareness Month draws to a close, we explore some tips and advice for dealing with stress.
At some point in our lives, all of us will experience stress. Whether it’s through exams, work or personal problems, stress is something most people experience at some time in their life.
Though not in itself a mental health problem, stress can be difficult and unpleasant to deal with and can have a serious and debilitating effect on life for some.
Stress can often lead to the development of mental health issues or it can make pre-existing mental health problems worse.
There is no easy fix for dealing with stress, however there are things you can do to help you deal with it and to ease the effects. Here are some tips and advice on how to deal with stress:
- Don't keep stress bottled up. Talk about your feelings to friends, family or healthcare professionals.
- Be active and exercise. Though it won't get rid of stress, exercise can help in alleviating its symptoms. Check out this article for tips and advice on how to get active.
- Try not to do too much at once. Doing too much at once can lead to overload and then make it difficult to do even simple tasks.
- Take regular breaks. Breaks can make you feel refreshed and help you to relax.
- Learn some calming breathing techniques to help deal with the symptoms of stress. Watch the “Breathing” video from Mind for a simple breathing exercise guide.
- Our diet can have a big impact on our wellbeing. When we are stressed, we often eat unhealthily. Try to eat healthily, as it will make you feel better in the long term.
- Get quality sleep. Being rested helps your ability to deal with stress. However, if we are stressed, it can be difficult to sleep. See the Mind page "How to cope with sleep problems" for more information.
- Learn new time management and organisation tips to help deal with your workload.
- Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms and habits for dealing with stress, such as over-consumption of alcohol, cigarettes or caffeine.
- Have some time to yourself. Though it can be difficult, try to find some time in the evenings or weekend to relax and unwind.
- Be kind to yourself. We all make mistakes and need help at times. Being overly critical of yourself can make you more more stressed.
Please don't suffer alone. Reach out to the organisations on this website if you are struggling. You can find local sources of support with your mental health here.
