Stress is the body’s natural reaction to danger and pressure, which could be deadlines, big life changes, relationships and trauma. Stress itself isn’t a mental health condition, but continuous stress can lead to mental health diagnoses, and even contribute to physical health problems.

When you feel stressed, your body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which cause some of the familiar stress reactions…

  • Nausea and indigestion
  • Poor sleep
  • Irritability
  • Withdrawing from social situations
  • Procrastination
  • Changes to eating habits
  • Overworking

These could all be referred to as your ‘stress signature’. Once you notice your stress signatures coming up, it may be signalling that you need to take some time for yourself.

What can alleviate stress?

Stress can sometimes be compared to a container, which holds all of the different stresses (big and small) in your life. Your stress container can overfill, which can lead to overwhelm and burnout. Doing activities that you enjoy and taking time out can act as a ‘tap’ to relieve some of the stress in your container. Mental Health First Aid have an excellent interactive Stress Container resource here, which you can use to understand what is causing stress in your life.

Your stress container:

Here at Bath Mind we’ve compiled a list of top tips to help empty your stress container: 

  • Breathing techniques, such as 345 breathing
  • Phone a friend or family member – talking about your stress can take pressure off
  • Movement – moving your body can complete the stress cycle and release some of the stress hormones from your body. Yoga, running, walking or team sports are great ways to move! – check out our Physical Wellbeing page for some inspiration and ideas.
  • Practising mindfulness – Insight Timer is one of our favourite Mindfulness Apps for guided meditation
  • Be creative – this is different for everyone, but this could be crochet, painting or cooking!
  • Getting absorbed in a book
  • Spending time outdoors and in nature, focussing on what you can see, hear, taste, smell and touch

Burnout versus Stress

⁠Burnout goes beyond stress, and can happen when stress has gone on for too long, draining your energy and motivation. It manifests as disengagement, with symptoms like hopelessness, helplessness, and a severe lack of motivation.⁠

Burnout can be caused by both work-related stressors and lifestyle factors. This can include:

  • Feeling like you have no control.
  • Unchallenging work.
  • Lack of recognition.
  •  Chaotic or high-pressured environment.
  • Not enough time to relax or socialise.
  • Lack of support network.
  • Taking on too much responsibility.

Physical symptoms of burnout include both physical and emotion symptoms. Physical symptoms can include feeling tired or drained regularly, lowered immunity, frequent headaches or muscle pain, a change in appetite or sleep. Emotional symptoms of burnout can include a sense of failure and self-doubt, feeling helpless and trapped, a sense of detachment and a loss of motivation and increased negativity.

What can alleviate burnout?

If symptoms of burnout are something you recognise in yourself, you can try the “Three R” approach:⁠

Recognise – Watch for the warning signs of burnout⁠.
Reverse – Undo the damage by seeking support and managing stress.
Resilience – Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health.⁠

Self-care for burnout can also help if symptoms of burnout are something you recognise in yourself. You could try:

  • Talking to people you’re close to – this could be your line manager or a friend or family member.
  • Taking regular breaks
  • Maintaining boundaries
  • Ensuring you’re eating nutritionally, moving your body and keeping a good sleep routine. 

If you are experiencing stress or burnout, Bath Mind are here for you. Call us on 0808 175 1369. Our Freephone support line is open 7 days a week from 9am – 11pm.