Stress

What is stress?

Stress is how your body and mind react when you feel under pressure. Most people feel stressed sometimes - it's completely normal. Some people even find a bit of stress helpful to get things done. But when stress starts affecting your daily life, it's important to get help.

How stress affects you

Stress can show up in different ways:

How your body feels:

• Headaches or feeling dizzy
• Tight, aching muscles
• Tummy problems
• Chest pain or your heart beating faster
• Problems with sex

How your mind feels:

• Finding it hard to focus
• Struggling to make decisions
• Feeling like everything is too much
• Worrying all the time
• Being forgetful

How you might act differently:

• Getting snappy or irritable easily
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Eating much more or much less than usual
• Avoiding places or people
• Drinking alcohol or smoking more

What causes stress?

Stress usually happens when you feel like you're losing control of something. Common causes include:

• Work problems - too much pressure, losing your job, or retiring
• Family issues - relationship troubles, divorce, or caring for someone
• Money worries - unexpected bills or debt
• Health concerns - being ill, getting injured, or losing someone close to you
• Big life changes - buying a house, having a baby, or planning a wedding

Sometimes there's no clear reason why you feel stressed.

What you can do to help yourself

Things that can help:

• Talk to someone you trust - a friend, family member, or health professional
• Contact Samaritans (call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org) if you need to talk
• Try gentle exercise - even a short walk can help
• Use simple breathing exercises to calm down
• Plan ahead for stressful events - make lists or prepare for long journeys
• Set small, achievable goals rather than trying to do everything at once
• Focus on what you can control, not what you can't change

Things to avoid:

• Don't try to fix everything at once
• Don't use alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to cope with stress
• Remember you're not alone - most people feel stressed sometimes

When to get help

Speak to your GP if:

• You're struggling to cope with stress
• Things you've tried aren't helping
• You'd like professional support

Call 111 or ask for an urgent GP appointment if:

• You need help urgently but it's not an emergency

🚨 Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if:

• You or someone else needs immediate help
• You've seriously harmed yourself
• You're thinking of taking a drug overdose

Mental health emergencies are as serious as medical emergencies.

Free NHS support available

You can refer yourself for free talking therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) without seeing your GP first. Search online for "NHS talking therapies service" in your area.

Remember, stress affects everyone differently, and getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.