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…
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.
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.
Here at Bath Mind we’ve compiled a list of top tips to help empty your stress container:
We have free resources on our Wellbeing Activities page for all to access to give you some self-care tips. If you are experiencing stress, our evening mental health support phoneline, Breathing Space, is open 7 days a week from 5.30pm – 11.00pm.