Recognising and Managing Stress

Stress levels in the UK are rising, with more people experiencing this pressure-induced state than ever before.

It could be receiving bad news, another traffic jam or a hectic working day, many triggers cause stress, and these triggers are different for everyone. What we know from the statistics is that stress is becoming a more prominent part of people’s lives, and in the process, it’s affecting their health, meaning healthcare costs are also surging.

While small amounts of stress can help us to rise to challenges and exert our strengths, long-term stress can lead to serious problems like burnout. In this article, we’ll be looking at stress statistics in a little more detail to understand how prevalent stress is, what the impacts are and what causes it.

How Prevalent is Stress?

Research shows that in the last year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been unable to cope, with one in five people in the UK feeling stressed more days a month than they don’t and 79% of people are often stressed at work.

Stress-related healthcare costs in the UK amount to £8.3 billion. 51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling depressed and 61% reported feeling anxious. 54% of people who are stressed worry about the impact it is having on their health.

The biggest cause of stress at work is reported to be workload, with money, work and health concerns being the most common causes of stress.

What causes stress?

Stress typically occurs when we feel under pressure, out of control, or if we are dealing with significant life changes and uncertainty. Many things can cause stress and the stage we’re at in our lives can influence what stresses us out the most. For example, upcoming exams can cause stress among students, whilst an adult may be more likely to experience stress related to starting a family, buying a home and/or long-term employment.

Here are some of the most common stressors which many of us will experience over the course of our lives.

Relationships

As humans are social mammals, relationships are vital to our overall wellbeing. When we experience difficulties in our relationships, it can lead to stress. We experience stress differently depending on the type of relationship we’re dealing with, whether the relationship is familial, platonic or romantic. For example, family difficulties will likely stir up very different feelings compared to a friendship fallout or a breakup with a partner.

Money

Money and finances play a huge part in our lives as we need money to afford our homes, buy food and fund our lifestyles. With the cost-of-living crisis still causing problems for many of us, money can be a prominent stressor. Financial issues related to debt or gambling may cause intense levels of stress and worry.

Work-life balance

In relation to the previous point, some of us may feel pressured to work a job that we don’t enjoy or that offers limited work-life balance to afford certain expenses, which in turn leads to decreased life satisfaction. This decreased life satisfaction can cause long-term stress and even burnout.

Major life events

Significant life changes such as bereavement, divorce and moving home can be emotionally challenging and cause us to experience stress. Multiple changes or events may occur at one and leave us feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. For example, a sudden loss can cause complicated feelings of grief, which could be compounded by financial worries and not being able to take ample time off work to grieve and recover. This, in turn, can cause us to experience high levels of stress.

Health issues

If health issues arise, or worsen if they’re pre-existing, other areas of our lives may be disrupted. The medical tests, costs and pain or discomfort associated with health issues can cause stress. Stress can exacerbate symptoms associated with health issues, which causes a negative downward spiral in our overall wellbeing. In addition, side effects of medication, a lack of support or reduced autonomy can affect our mental health over time.

Recognising Stress

Most people will be familiar with the tight chest, fast-flooding thoughts and low mood that arise as a result of stress. How each person experiences stress will be unique to them. But generally, there are some common signs and symptoms:

Physical signs: difficulty breathing, sleeping problems, fatigue, chest pains, weight changes.

Behavioural signs: changes like withdrawing from others, being unable to switch off, and not enjoying things you usually do.

Emotions you might be feeling: overwhelmed, depressed, irritable, angry, worried, tense, uninterested in life or lonely.

Here are some signs that you might be struggling with stress:

• Irritability or snappiness

• Anxiety or depression

• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy

• Racing thoughts and rumination

• Self-isolation and social withdrawal

• Dread and/or ‘Sunday scaries’

• Physical sensations like indigestion, headaches, dizziness, nausea

• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

Recognising stress when it arises is essential to overcoming it. If you notice any of the signs above, stop and ask yourself: am I feeling stressed right now? There’s no one quick fix for stress. As humans, we’re all going to experience this at some point. But you can reduce the impact stress has in your life by recognising it when it arises and by trying these stress-reducing tips:

Manage pressure

Pressure is a part of all our lives – without it we could not achieve our full potential. Pressure is inevitable. It comes from a variety of sources including work, home, personal life, holidays and travel, Christmas, exams, business change and balancing work and home life. Pressure is a neutral force. How we react to pressure can make the difference between good and bad outcomes.

Everyday pressures influence how well we feel and how we perform. Ideally our days need to be in comfort and stretch. Strain and panic reduce performance and increase our risk of ill health.

• Boredom – without stimulation and challenge we become bored and under-achieve.

• Comfort zone – with a little more pressure we enter a zone where we feel comfortable – not too little and not too much pressure – but when we are in the left hand side of this zone we are not being nearly as productive as we might be.

• Stretch zone – this is where we perform at our best. However, we need to keep ‘jumping back’ into the comfort zone to refresh and regroup, because we can’t stay in the stretch zone for too long without a release from the pressure, otherwise we slip into the strain zone.

• Strain zone – the line between the stretch zone and the strain zone is a thin one, and once we enter the strain zone our performance starts to fall off. If we stretch ourselves for too long without a break eventually the pressure gets too high and we slip into the strain zone. When we’re in this zone we feel tired and fatigued, pressure turns into stress and we begin to experience difficulty concentrating, we become less creative and have lower intellectual performance.

• Panic zone – (or overwhelmed zone) where we feel severely stressed and are at risk of serious health problems. The effects of pressure are quite considerable and we feel burnt out, exhausted and may even break down

Top healthy ways to combat stress at work

When managing any kind of stress, prioritising self-care should be at the top of your list. When it comes to dealing with work stress specifically, there are a variety of helpful things you can do to combat stress levels healthily and effectively.

It’s easy to dismiss the signs of stress if you’re under pressure at work, but noticing the warning signs so you can prevent the stress from worsening or leading to burnout is essential.

1. Delegate tasks

It can be easy to take on too much without realising. If you’re in management or work as part of a team, try to delegate tasks so you can focus on the crux of your job. If delegation isn’t possible, then prioritising urgent and important projects will be important to manage both your own workload and the expectations of your senior team.

2. Talk to your employer

Employers have a duty of care to ensure you can work safely, and this extends to your mental health. If you feel comfortable to do so, speak to your manager about how you’re feeling. If the workload is unsustainable, or you’re experiencing something troublesome in or out of work, they may be able to help support you by:

• Delegating tasks for you

• Recommending that you use an employee assistance programme (EAP)

• Extending your deadlines

• Facilitating flexible working and/or time off work to deal with any personal issues

• Addressing any internal troubles such as workplace bullying

3. Use your EAP

Using your EAP is a big step in itself. Your EAP can help by providing counselling support to equip you with the tools to deal with work-related stress. They can also support you with any mental health issues you might be experiencing because of prolonged stressful periods, such as anxiety and depression.

4. Take time to recharge

Mental health stigma is still prevalent in the workplace but it’s important to recognise that taking care of your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Taking time to recharge is crucial to give you the space to regulate and prioritise your mental wellbeing. Make sure you’re utilising your annual leave for relaxing activities, making use of your company’s wellbeing benefits and initiatives, and requesting flexible working where possible to ensure that your mornings and evenings are that extra bit easier.

You could use your time off to simply rest, get back into activities or hobbies you used to enjoy, practice mindfulness, tackle any admin tasks you’ve been putting off, or anything else that provides you a sense of accomplishment or calm.

Stress Chemicals

When faced with a situation that makes you stressed, your body releases certain chemicals which invoke the fight or flight feelings that help us to deal with the situation.

Often the situation does not require this extreme flight or fight response and as a result these chemicals are not used. When the chemicals that are released during stressful situations build up from not being used, their effects are felt by the body. These can increase blood pressure, heart rate and the amount that you sweat. Some can prevent your immune system from functioning properly, as well as releasing fat and sugar into your blood stream.

Managing stress and pressure

Get moving

Exercise in any form is one of the best stress busters you can find. And the best thing? It costs nothing. It could be a walk to the park, a dance around the kitchen or a 10-minute stretch.

Laughter is the best medicine

Laughing it off should never be underestimated. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, call the friend that always makes you laugh, put on your favourite feel-good film, or even go to a comedy night. These little spurts of laughter can go a long way.

Put sleep first

Sleep is good for the soul. It’s the body’s way of restoring, rebalancing and recharging itself. After a good night’s sleep, you’ll be more equipped to take on the tasks and scenarios that make up your day-to-day.

Top tips to manage stress

• Make a list at the end of each day

• Make a list and tackle daily pressures

• Schedule your time to include breaks and focused work

• Don’t let things get to you

• Keep home and work separate (enjoy life outside of work)

• Share concerns with other people (friend, manager, colleagues, counsellor/GP/health professional)

• Smile more often – be more positive

• Breathe deeply when tense and anxious

• Try to deal with situations objectively in an unemotional way

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