Managing stress and staying mentally healthy at work.
About International Stress Awareness Day
International Stress Awareness Day is a major annual event run by The International Stress Management Association (ISMAUK) focusing on stress management and campaigning against the stigma associated with stress and mental health issues. ISMAUK, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is the leading professional association for both personal and workplace stress management. This year's theme Campaigning to Reduce Stress and Improve Wellbeing reflects ISMAUK's commitment to raise global awareness of strategies for reducing stress, improving mental health, and increasing wellbeing.
What is stress?
Stress is the body's response to feeling threatened or under pressure. It is often triggered when we experience something new or unexpected, or when we feel we have little control over a situation. This could be, for example, problems with housing, money difficulties, pressure at work, or relationships issues. Even positive life changes, such as buying a house, gaining a job promotion or going on holiday can be sources of stress.
Stress is very common and can affect any person at any stage of life. Although stress can sometimes be motivating to help us achieve things in our daily life, it can also have a negative impact both on our physical and mental health. Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period of time can lead to a feeling of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, often called burnout.
"Millions of us around the UK are experiencing high levels of stress and it is damaging our health. Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time"
- Isabella Goldie, Mental Health Foundation
Common symptoms of stress include:
Emotional: mood changes, anxiety, fear, sadness, frustration, anger, rage
Physical: headaches, chest pain, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, sweating, insomnia, breathlessness
Psychological: overthinking, being on edge, poor concentration, dissociation, lack of motivation, forgetfulness
Behavioural: nail biting, restlessness, lack of self-care, social withdrawal, increased alcohol intake, smoking, drug use
How to cope with stress?
Realise the stress is happening
The first step in dealing with stress is to recognise that it is happening. Once you have recognised you are experiencing stress, try to identify its underlying causes. Categorise the possible reasons for your stress into those with a practical solution, those that can get better on their own gradually over time, and those you cannot do anything about. Gain control by preparing a plan and taking small steps towards the things that can be improved.
Review your lifestyle
Are you taking on too much? Do you feel that you are overwhelmed with responsibilities? Are there things that could be handed over to someone else? Can you do things in a more relaxed way? You may need to prioritise things you are trying to achieve and reorganise your life so that you are not doing everything on your own and at once. Make a list of all the things that you need to do and list them in order of genuine importance. Note what needs to be done immediately, in the next few days, weeks or next month, etc. See what tasks you need to do yourself and what could be delegated to others.
Build supportive relationships
We all enjoy the feeling of being connected with other people. Speaking to a close friend, family member or trusted colleague, who can offer help and practical advice, can ease your mind and support you in managing stress.
Don't be too hard on yourself
Try to keep things in perspective and don't be too hard on yourself. Focus on positives and things you can be grateful for. At the end of each day, you could try writing down a couple of things that went well, or for which you are grateful. Positive things are all around us, we just need to open our eyes to see them.
Look after your physical health and make time to unwind
Getting enough sleep, staying physically active and eating a balanced diet can help you to alleviate stress. Also, making time to look after yourself is very important in managing your overall mental health. Spending time on things you enjoy could help distract you from a stressful situation. From spending a day in a nature reserve, doing jigsaw puzzles, practising mindfulness meditation, reading a book, and listening to an interesting podcast, to doing a mindful breathing exercise - there's plenty of activities that could help you switch off and relax. This self-care workbook packed with exercises and tips can help you to create and your daily self-care routine.
Stress At Work
875,000 workers were suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing cases) in 2022/23.
Work related stress is increasingly common and is one of the biggest reason for sickness absence in the UK. Stress at work can be caused by a number of reasons:
excessive workload
unachievable deadlines
unclear job role and expectations
long, unsocial or inflexible hours
inadequate resources to complete tasks
insufficient training and being under-skilled for specific tasks
lack of support from colleagues or management
unsafe or poor physical working conditions
organisational culture that enables negative behaviours like violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination or exclusion
Below guides can provide you with some tips on how to cope with stress at work:
How to support mental health at work guide - Mental Health Foundation
Guide for employees: Wellness Action Plans (WAPs) How to support your mental health at work - Mind
Managing stress and building resilience in the workplace guide from Mental Health UK
How to be mentally healthy at work - Mind
Sometimes despite our best efforts, stress is too much for us to deal with on our own. If you feel you can't manage stress at work, then seek support from your manager.
Further Resources
Here are some useful guides and toolkits that will provide you with some strategies on how to manage stress:
Taking you from Distress to De-stress guide - Stress Management Society
How to manage and reduce stress guide - Mental Health Foundation
Stress guide - Mind
Stress self-help guide - NHS
Self-help CBT techniques - NHS
My wellbeing plan - Mental Health UK
Answer five quick questions to get your Mind Plan from the NHS with practical tips to help you deal with stress and anxiety, improve your sleep and feel more in control.
You can also check out Reading Well's list of books on mental health which can provide you with helpful information and support. The books are available to borrow from your local library and selected titles are also available to borrow as e-books and audiobooks. Visit your local library website to find out how to join the library and access books electronically.
Getting support
Being constantly stressed and feeling under pressure can become overwhelming and have a detrimental effect on your mental health. If you feel that you are not coping on your own and have concerns about your mental wellbeing, seek professional help. Talk to your GP or a practice nurse who will be able to provide you with some guidance. You can also refer yourself directly to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) without a GP referral.
Moreover, there are services available that offer confidential advice from trained volunteers. Get in touch with one of the charities to talk about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult.
CALM offers confidential and free support through a helpline and a webchat service. They will talk through any issue with you and offer support, advice and signposting.
Give Us A Shout is a free and confidential text messaging service which provides 24/7 support people experiencing any type of personal mental health concern. Text SHOUT to 85258 to speak to one of their trained volunteers.
Volunteers at Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call them on 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person.
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