Stress

What is stress?

Stress is a natural response to pressure from external or internal factors and can impact on our thoughts, emotions, bodies and behaviours. External factors can include life events, illness, living conditions, work, home, family, finances or even things that are usually considered positive, such as Christmas or going on holidays. Internal factors are often related to the pressure we place on ourselves to look, perform or feel a certain way.

Some stress is completely normal, and can actually be beneficial to us. But when it goes on for a long time at high levels it can start to have a negative impact on how we think, feel, behave, even on our physical wellbeing.

What does stress look like?

Someone who is stressed might experience:

Thoughts such as “I can’t cope”, “I’ll never get this done”, “I must get this finished”
Feeling irritable or agitated. Some people can feel hopeless, sad or exhausted
Bodily sensations such as a racing heart, tense muscles, and headaches are common when feeling stressed
Feeling constantly tired and having low energy
Finding it hard to settle, and having many things on the go but struggling to finish them
Struggling to sleep
Eating a lot more or a lot less

Can I get through this?

Definitely! Lots of us feel stressed at times and often simple changes can help manage stress until the situation changes. But if you find yourself stressed more often than not, or you feel overwhelmed by the stress, then it’s a good idea to get some support.

How can Fresh Minds help?

Our expert therapists can work with you on a plan to manage your stress, by:

Understanding the context stress arises in for you
Understanding your triggers
Helping identify internal and external contributing factors
Providing you with some tools and strategies to help overcome stress.

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