Help with Stress

Stress is a common feeling which everybody experiences at different times in their life. A small amount of stress can sometimes be seen as good for our motivation but too much stress can impact our mood, wellbeing and relationships with the people around us.

Some people can go through long or short periods of stress and for different reasons.  You might feel pressure about an exam or moving to a different school or college. If you can learn to cope with these pressures, you can ease the stress you feel too.

When people are under stress they can react differently.  You might feel like shouting, hiding away, crying or not wanting to do anything at all. You can learn to deal with your stress and it can take a lot of practice but you will get there.  You could try the following steps to help:

• Recognise triggers. Begin to track times where you felt stressed and look for patterns in how you reacted.  What was happening when you felt stressed? What do you think/feel/do just before you felt stressed?
• Once you are aware of difficulties that are likely to make you feel stressed you can take steps to prevent stress or deal with it quickly
• Self-care. Be kind to yourself and try to spend time with family and friends and/or talk about how you are feeling
• Exercise, relaxation and meditation: some people find that exercises and activities such as meditation, breathing exercises and deep muscle relaxation are helpful
• Eat well and sleep. The better rested you are, the more able you are to cope with pressure
• Talking therapy. If you are finding it difficult to cope, consider meeting with someone trained to help.  In Bolton you can access support from a Bolton I-Thrive service or use the anonymous online counselling service kooth.com

There are also the below apps that can help you with stress:

• Guided meditations and sleep stories to ease stress and improve sleep
• Train your mind for a healthier, happier life by reducing daily anxieties and stresses
• Breathe2Relax: portable stress management tool