Understanding Stress: What Helps Our Team
Stress is something many of us experience in our daily lives, yet it’s often misunderstood or not taken as seriously as it should be. There are a number of common myths that can prevent people from recognising when they need support or taking steps to manage how they feel.
Some of these misconceptions include the idea that stress is a choice, that it affects everyone in the same way, that it’s always obvious when someone is struggling, that only long-term stress is a concern, or that there’s nothing you can do to manage it. In reality, stress is complex, personal, and something we all respond to differently.
Research from the Mental Health Foundation found that 74% of UK adults felt so stressed at some point that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. This highlights just how common stress can be, and why it’s important to take time to recognise and understand the pressures we may be facing.
“I started waking up in the morning in a panic, feeling nauseous, with my heart racing. That feeling would stick around for as long as I was awake. 99% of the time, I felt like something really bad was about to happen.”
How is stress linked to mental health?
Stress is often described as the body’s reaction to feeling under pressure or threatened. While it is not usually considered a mental health condition in itself, it is closely connected to our overall mental wellbeing in several ways:
Ongoing stress can contribute to the development of mental health problems or make existing conditions worse
Experiencing poor mental health can also increase feelings of stress
When stress becomes difficult to manage, we can often turn to unhealthy coping strategies, such as recreational drugs or alcohol, which can further impact our overall wellbeing
Stress will often arise when we find ourselves in a situation that we don't feel we can manage or control. Sometimes, a small amount of stress can help us to complete tasks and feel more energised. However, stress can become a problem when it lasts for a long time or is very intense, and this can affect both our physical and mental health.
“It's overwhelming. Sometimes you can't see beyond the thick fog of stress.”
Stress can affect our emotions, our body, and our behaviours in lots of different ways, and it isn’t always easy to spot. As everyone experiences stress differently, what helps can vary too. Taking time to understand your own triggers and responses is an important step towards managing it more effectively.
To help you navigate this, we’ve shared a short resource below with practical tips and guidance for supporting your mental health and wellbeing.
We asked our team to share what helps when they are experiencing stress, and the following was shared:
“One thing that can help me when I am feeling stressed…”
“For me, the number one thing that helps is to get active, usually walking out in the fresh air. I find that moving, getting in touch with my body, and looking around can put a new perspective on whatever may be causing the stress.” — Linda
“Going for a run and then watching a film” — Wayne
“One thing that helps me to de-stress is going for a walk with my dog on the beach” — Michelle
“For me, I am aware that I can get hooked into negative thought processes, which can make the stress spiral; I consciously step away from the issue and go and do anything that requires both body and mind to be active together (e.g, physical activity or playing guitar). This helps reset my perspective, so can I come back to it when I feel I can be more objective, and I look at which parts I can control and which I can’t. For the things I can change, I make plans for, and the things I can’t, I focus on letting go.” — Esther
“Going for a walk, sitting by the ocean/in a forest, hot water bottles, and spending time with the people I love.” — Carla
“Making a list and prioritising the most important tasks, setting reminder alarms, practicing 5-7 breathing, and asking for help.” — Paula
“Making time for myself and reading a book” — Kelly
“Going for a swim, steam, and sauna to help me relax and unwind.” — Danielle
“One thing that can help me when I’m feeling stressed is listening to music, depending on my mood, going for a walk, and getting a good night’s sleep. At work, I think it’s really important to remember to have a balance and to shut off from work once the day has finished. Something I have restarted doing, and it is making a huge difference. Sharing my time working from home and the office, it is also vital to evaluate the environment at home and to relax in the moment. Depending on how high the stress is, I find it useful to write a list of all the things I am stressing over, and then problem-solve. Perhaps, breaking things down into smaller tasks and making sure I am utilising my work diary sufficiently.” — Becci
“Taking my dog for a walk to help fill my sense pots.” — Tash
“One thing that helps me when I’m feeling stressed is going for a walk in my local wood-lots of wild flowers, great bird and insect sounds, and being present in the moment.” — Bill
“I use surfing and swimming to eliminate stress. I don’t take a phone or a smartwatch into the water; it’s just me, nature, and no more ‘land problems’! I also monitor the time I spend with people – I recharge when I’m alone, so if I’m feeling tired, I seek solitude in nature. However, I also notice when I haven’t made time to catch up with friends, so I will then make myself organise some board games or a catch-up with people. It’s finding my balance. Neither of these things has to be immediate – I feel better as soon as I have them in the diary because I know they will happen then.” — Phil