How to deal with stress

When it comes to stress relief, what helps one person might not help another. And different tools can be more, or less, useful for us at different times.

Why not try out some of the tips below and see what works best for you?

How to manage stress in the moment

These fast-acting strategies can help you to immediately reduce feelings of stress.

Use them when you feel yourself getting frustrated or when you’re about to face a challenging situation.

It can also be helpful to make them a regular habit by building these 5-minute practices into your everyday. For example, you could do them when you first wake up or before you go to sleep, when you’re in the shower, or straight after lunch.

1. Move to relax the body

Regular exercise can make you more resilient to stress in the long run.

Bursts of physical activity can also help you in the moment by allowing you to ‘burn off’ feelings of stress and relieve muscle tension.

For example, you could try going for a short, brisk walk or even just doing a few jumping jacks if you do not have much time.

Some people find a technique called progressive muscle relaxation helpful.

This is when you tighten, then relax, each group of your muscles in turn, working through your forehead, jaw, neck and shoulders, arms and hands, buttocks and legs, feet and toes.

2. Deep breathing 

When we’re stressed, our breathing can become quick and shallow, which sends distress signals to our brains.

To break this cycle, try methods that slow your breathing down, such as the 4-7-8 technique:

• Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4.
• Hold your breath for 7.
• Breathe out through your mouth for 8. 

3. Picture your ‘happy place’ 

Sometimes it can be helpful to take yourself away from a stressful situation by taking your mind on a trip to a better place.

You can do this through a recorded guided visualisation meditation. Or simply close your eyes and imagine a peaceful place you’ve been to before, such as a beach or forest.

Think about what you’d see, hear, smell and feel in that location to make it feel more real. 

4. Use the power of sound, smell and touch

It’s possible to get stressful thoughts out of your head by instead focusing on sensations outside your body.

This could mean listening to a soothing piece of music, lighting a candle with a relaxing scent, stroking a pet, squeezing a stress ball, or giving yourself a hand massage.

How to lower long-term stress

If you have chronic stress, though it can be tricky, there might be things you can do to make your situation better.

1. Cut back and reprioritise 

Working out what makes you stressed can allow you to reduce those triggers.

For example, if you find constant updates and messages stressful, can you build in time in your day when you can be free of your phone?

Feeling overwhelmed with ‘must-dos’? Can you work out what is most important, do that first and accept that you might not get everything done at once?

If you’ve taken on too much, are there responsibilities you can cut back on?

Try, if possible, to prioritise some time for relaxation in your day and week.

2. Keep a journal

Many people find getting their thoughts on paper can be a way to work through them and make them less overpowering.

If the idea of keeping a diary sounds like too much work, you could instead get into the practice of reflecting when you wake up or before you go to bed each day. 

Questions to regularly ask yourself could include:

• What am I grateful for? 
• What went well today or yesterday?
• What might I do differently today or tomorrow?

3. Connect with others

Having someone you can share your worries with, or people who can help distract you from them, is important.

Confiding in friends or family members about how you’re feeling may help.

Or you could join a support group with others who are going through similar situations, such as our online forum at HealthUnlocked.

4. Get the support you need

Some sources of stress are difficult to change on your own:

• Get tips if your financial situation is troubling you with MoneyHelper.
• Talk through your heart health concerns with our cardiac nurses on our Heart Helpline.
• Find mental health support from Mind.
• If stress is significantly impacting your ability to cope with daily life, talk to your GP. Or, in England, you can refer yourself through the NHS talking therapies service.

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