How can I reduce stress?
Start by finding the cause. Exercise can ease how stress feels, but the NHS says it won’t make stress disappear. And the NHS keeps coming back to one word: control.
On this page
What is stress, and how do I manage it?
The NHS calls stress “the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure”. It tends to hit when you feel you don’t have what you need to handle what’s in front of you.
To manage it, the NHS says the first step is to identify the cause. Exercise can take some of the heat out of the feeling. It won’t make the stress go away.
Think of a smoke alarm. Breathing and exercise turn the noise down, so you can think.
But the alarm is there for a reason. The NHS says it’s best to tackle the cause, the thing that set it off.
Four steps to manage stress
- 1
Name the cause
Work, money, family, health or a big life change. Sometimes there’s no obvious cause.
- 2
Sort it in two
What you can change, and what you can’t.
- 3
Act on one thing
Pick one part you control. Set a small target you can easily hit.
- 4
Ease the feeling
Get active, breathe slowly, talk to someone.
Sources: NHS: stress; NHS: 10 stress busters
Start tonight. Write down what’s on your mind, then circle the parts you can change.
Am I stressed? The signs to look for
Stress can change how you feel, how your body feels and how you act. The NHS says it’s not always easy to tell when stress is the reason.
| Where you notice it | Signs |
|---|---|
| Your body | Headaches or dizziness, tight or sore muscles, stomach problems, chest pain or a faster heartbeat, sexual problems. |
| Your mind | Trouble concentrating or making decisions, feeling overwhelmed, constant worry, forgetting things. |
| Your habits | Being snappy, sleeping or eating too much or too little, avoiding places or people, drinking or smoking more. |
Source: NHS: stress
Stress that goes on for a long time, or is severe, can leave you exhausted in body and mind. That’s often called burnout.
Stress can sometimes cause chest pain. But call 999 if chest pain is sudden and doesn’t go away, or spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back. Call 999 too if it comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headed or short of breath.
Wondering what stress hormones do in your body? See high cortisol symptoms.
What causes stress, and what can I control?
That word from the top was control. The NHS says feeling you’ve lost it is one of the main causes of stress. So focus on the things you do have control over.
| Cause | What it can look like | One thing you could do |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Pressure at work, losing your job or retiring. | If your company is cutting jobs, you could look for a new one. |
| Money | Unexpected bills or borrowing money. | List what’s due and when, so you can see it all. |
| Family | Relationship problems, divorce or caring for someone. | Ask one person for one specific bit of help. |
| Health | Illness, injury or losing someone you love. | Talk it through with a friend, family or a health professional. |
| Big life events | Buying a house, having a baby, planning a wedding. | Plan ahead and make a list of things to remember. |
Sources: NHS: stress; NHS: 10 stress busters
The job example comes from the NHS. The others are our ideas, built on its advice to talk and to plan ahead.
Is work the main cause? Our work stress guide covers what your employer has to do.
What are the best ways to relieve stress?
The NHS has 10 stress busters. It doesn’t rank them, so pick the two that fit your week best.
| Stress buster | Try this |
|---|---|
| Be active | Exercise can ease the feeling and clear your head. |
| Take control | Act on the part of the problem you can change. |
| Connect with people | Talk it through with a friend. It may help you find a fix. |
| Have some “me time” | Set aside a couple of nights a week, away from work. |
| Challenge yourself | Learn something new, like a language or a sport. |
| Avoid unhealthy habits | Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine to cope. |
| Help other people | Do someone a small favour every day. |
| Work smarter | Do the tasks that matter first. Leave the least important to last. |
| Try to be positive | Each evening, write down 3 things that went well. |
| Accept what you can’t change | Put your energy into what you can. |
Source: NHS: 10 stress busters
Need to calm down right now? Try the NHS breathing exercise for stress. Let your breath flow deep into your belly, without forcing it.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Some people count 1 to 5 each way. Keep going for at least 5 minutes.
The NHS says you’ll get the most from it if you do it regularly, as part of your daily routine. For more ways to unwind, see relaxation techniques and nature walks and stress.
Your stress plan for this week
- Write down what’s stressing you. Circle one part you can control, and take a small first step.
- Breathe slowly into your belly for at least 5 minutes a day.
- Get active, in a way you enjoy.
- Set aside a couple of nights this week for “me time”.
- At the end of each day, write down 3 things that went well.
- Try not to use alcohol, smoking or caffeine to cope.
Sources: NHS: stress; NHS: 10 stress busters; NHS: breathing exercises
Is there therapy or treatment for stress?
Yes. The NHS says its talking therapies service for anxiety and depression may be able to help with stress.
If you’re 18 or over (16 or over in some areas), you can refer yourself without talking to a GP. In England, it’s free.
Want to start on your own? Every Mind Matters has free self-help CBT videos and guides.
CBT is short for cognitive behavioural therapy. The NHS says these can help you deal with stress by working through problems in new ways.
Looking for natural remedies? The NHS stress pages don’t suggest any supplement. For what trials found, see magnesium for anxiety and rhodiola for burnout.
When to speak to a GP
Book an appointment if:
- You’re struggling to cope with stress, or the things you’re trying aren’t helping.
- You’d rather a GP referred you for talking therapy than refer yourself.
- You have symptoms that worry you, or feel your stress is more severe. The NHS says to see a GP.
- You have chest pain that comes and goes, or goes quickly but still worries you. Call 999 if it’s sudden and doesn’t go away, or spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back. Call 999 too if it comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headed or short of breath.
- You need help urgently but it’s not an emergency. Call 111 and select the mental health option, or ask for an urgent GP appointment.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if someone’s life is at risk, for example they’ve seriously hurt themselves or taken an overdose. Or if you don’t feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe. Samaritans are free on 116 123.