I Feel Stressed

Stress is your body’s natural reaction to being under pressure from a certain scenario or occurrence. It could be a physical, psychological, or emotional reaction.

Feeling stressed can be a different experience for different people, and the causes of stress can differ, too. The amount of stress you feel comfortable dealing with may be higher or lower than other people.

Experiencing feelings of stress can be a normal response to certain situations, like added pressure around a deadline at work or planning for a big life event, like a wedding. However, persistent symptoms of stress could begin to affect your health, and you may not even realise it.

You may also be feeling anxious or low, and these could be related to stress. Speaking up and getting help is a strength, and we can help you cope.

If you are struggling to cope with or control your feelings, and you begin to feel stressed all the time, now is a good time to get some help. Getting help has never been easier; with a simple self-referral through our online referral assistant or a referral via a GP or other healthcare professional, you can begin your journey to receiving support today.

At Kent and Medway Talking Therapies, we can offer a range of talking therapies to help you manage your stress and implement strategies which can help you manage daily life.

What causes feelings of stress?

Many different things in life can be a source of stress. Common stress triggers could be personal or related to friends and family, employment and study, housing, money or social factors. Even day-to-day conveniences can be a source of stress.

Different situations in these areas can be major drivers of stress:

Personal Life

Friends and Family

Employment and Study

Money

Social Factors

If you experience any of these common triggers of stress and you begin to feel like the impact is extending to your daily life and routine activities, we can help. Getting support as soon as you can is essential for getting back on track, and we offer a range of services to help you deal with stress, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Counselling for Depression and Employment Support.

Self-refer to Kent and Medway Talking Therapies today to begin your journey to a stress-free lifestyle, with management techniques and coping tips.

What types of stress are there?

In small amounts, stress can help us complete tasks, like meeting a work deadline, but it can become a problem when it lasts for a longer period of time or when it’s so intense that it interrupts your daily life and prevents you from doing the things you enjoy or are part of your routine.

There are different types of stress that you may encounter, including:

Acute stress

This usually happens immediately after an unexpected or upsetting event like a sudden bereavement, a serious accident or a major disaster, including natural disasters. Typically, acute stress lasts up to a month and can be very intense, as well as developing quickly.

Chronic stress

Usually lasting for a long period of time or constantly returning, chronic stress may be experienced if you are under extreme amounts of pressure a lot of the time. If you are a carer or are struggling to provide for yourself and your family financially, you may experience chronic stress.

Productive vs Problematic stress

Sometimes, you may hear the terms productive stress or problematic stress being used.

Productive stress, or eustress, is a positive, short-term stressor which motivates and enhances our performance – like meeting that work deadline – whereas problematic stress, or distress, is more negative and long-term which overwhelms your capacity and can lead to mental health problems and physical health worries.

If you are concerned that you are dealing with acute or chronic stress, it’s best to get help now. You may be feeling exhausted or overwhelmed as a result of dealing with stress at work or at home, and you are looking for support.

Through mental health webinars, supported online therapy or informative downloads, we can support you as you learn to deal with your stress and help you move forward with your life.

What are the Symptoms of Stress?

Prolonged feelings of stress and worry can cause behavioural, emotional and physical symptoms. Everyone experiences stress differently depending on their situation, but the tell-tale symptoms of stress are often similar amongst many people. You may feel more behavioural symptoms than emotional and physical, and vice versa, whilst some of the symptoms overlap into multiple categories.

Behavioural symptoms of stress include:

Changes in Eating Patterns

Trouble Sleeping

Social Withdrawal

Irritability

Avoidance of Situations

Emotional symptoms of stress include:

Increased Irritability

Constant Worry and Anxiety

Feelings of Hopelessness

Struggling to Make Decisions

Mood Swings

Decreased Self-Confidence and Motivation

Physical symptoms of stress include:

Muscle Aches

Stomach Problems

Fatigue and Sleep Problems

Dizziness

High Blood Pressure and Increased Heart Rate

You may also have a sense of constant dread and find yourself always fearing the worst, feel like the world is speeding up or slowing down or worrying that other people can see that you’re anxious and are looking at you.

Dealing with these symptoms can be extremely difficult and it can be distressing if they begin to impact on your daily life. This could lead to you being unable to work or care for someone, which could increase your stress levels.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or are feeling stressed all the time and find yourself struggling to cope, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible. We are here for you. Stress doesn’t have to negatively affect your life and learning how to deal with stress and your triggers, and how to overcome it, can help you effectively manage stress.

An easy self-referral via telephone on 0333 091 0414, our online referral assistant or through a GP/healthcare referral to Kent and Medway Talking Therapies can help you feel more in control and confident in your decisions. An assessment can help us determine which talking therapy is best for you, and we can support you on your journey to better mental health.

Why is it important to get help for feeling stressed?

Not only does getting help and support for feeling stressed help you manage your symptoms and improve your daily life, but it can also help prevent more serious health issues. By developing coping strategies and stress management strategies, you can improve your mental health.

Stress busters can include:

• Being active through exercise
• Taking control of your feelings
• Connecting with people
• Having some “me time”, like quality time away from work
• Challenging yourself to trying something new
• Avoiding unhealthy habits like being reliant on alcohol, smoking or caffeine to cope
• Helping other people, which can help you become more resilient
• Working smarter, not harder to prioritise your workload
• Trying to be positive

If you fail to implement stress management techniques and strategies like these ones, you may begin to feel worse. Stress can become harmful if left ignored or it is not managed correctly. Chronic stress can lead to health issues like:

• Heart disease
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• Sleep problems
• Mental health issues, like anxiety and depression

Getting support before you begin to feel worse is vital to ensure you can live life to the fullest. If your stress is making you feel anxious, low or overwhelmed, it could be a sign of further mental health issues.

We understand that men’s mental health is stigmatised and men who are struggling with stress may feel like they can’t speak up. The same goes for people living with a long term condition or those seeking mental health support for older adults. Understanding how to manage feeling stressed can be overwhelming, but we are here to remind you that you are not alone.

By actioning stress busters combined with a talking therapy, you can begin to manage your stress and help yourself return to a happier state of mind.

Choosing to seek help is not a weakness, and in fact, it can improve your quality of life and ensure you do the things you enjoy. Self-refer today to get support from an expert therapist at Kent and Medway Talking Therapies.

What support is available for feeling stressed?

Levels of stress, and related worry or anxiety can be managed, and we can give you practical tools to do that. If you want to feel less stressed and to feel more confident managing your day-to-day life and activities, our range of talking therapies are here to support you.

Getting help is straight forward, too. You can self-refer via our online referral assistant, on the telephone on 0333 091 0414 or through a GP/healthcare professional referral form.

After you contact one of our service providers, we will connect you to the support service that is best for you. In the meantime, you can explore the services we currently offer across Kent and Medway.

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