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Title: How to manage Stress ?
Description: This booklet is for anyone who wants to know how to deal with stress and how to learn to relax... Open to learn more !

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How to
manage stress

how to

manage stress

How to manage stress
This booklet is for anyone who wants to know
how to deal with stress and how to learn to
relax
...


Contents
What is stress?

4

What causes stress?

4

Is stress harmful?

5

How can I tell if I'm under too much stress?

7

What's the best way to handle pressure?

8

How can I learn to relax?

9

What if relaxation doesn’t work for me?

16

What else can I do to cope with stress?

16

Useful contacts

20

3

How to manage stress

What is stress?
We all sometimes talk about stress, and feeling stressed, usually when
we feel we have too much to do and too much on our minds, or other
people are making unreasonable demands on us, or we are dealing with
situations that we do not have control over
...

You can reduce the effects of stress by being more conscious of the
things that cause it, and learning to handle them better, using relaxation
techniques as well as other life-style changes
...
Some of the
causes of stress are happy events, but because they bring big changes
or make unusual demands on you, they can still be stressful
...


Stress is also caused by long-term difficult circumstances, such as:
• unemployment

• poverty

• relationship problems

• caring for a disabled family member or friend

4

Is stress harmful?

• difficulties at work

• bad housing

• noisy neighbours
...


Is stress harmful?
Stress can have a positive side
...
g
...

Our physical reactions to stress are determined by our biological history
and the need to respond to sudden dangers that threatened us when we
were still hunters and gatherers
...
Our bodies still respond in this way, releasing the
hormones adrenaline and cortisol
...
You become pale, sweat more and
your mouth becomes dry
...
You may merely be having an argument with someone,
but your body may react as though you were facing a wolf
...
But if the
stress is emotional, the effects of adrenaline subside more slowly, and
you may go on feeling agitated for a long time
...
This is very bad for both your physical and your mental health
...
In the short-term, its
effects are positive, to help you deal with an immediate crisis, but longterm stress means that cortisol builds up and creates a number of stressrelated health problems
...


Long-term negative effects:
• imbalances of blood sugar

• increase in abdominal fat storage

• suppressed thyroid activity

• decreased bone density

• decreased muscle mass

• high blood pressure

• lowered immunity

• less able to think clearly
...
A situation that is intolerable to one
person may be stimulating to another
...

The important point is that you can learn to recognise your own responses
to stress and develop skills to deal with it well
...

The more of the following you experience, the more stressed you are
...
This can help you recognise signs of stress coming
on, in the future
...
Making time for leisure, exercise
and holidays is just as essential as spending time on business or home
worries
...
But
it needs to be short-term and to be followed by a period of relaxation
...

• Make a list of things you have to do
...

• Try to vary your tasks in a day
...

• Try not to do too many things at once
...

Act positively
• Once you've finished a task, take a few moments to pause and relax
...
14-15)
...
A short walk can make a big difference to how

you feel, even if it’s a simple walk round the block
...

• At the end of each day, sit back and reflect on what you've achieved,

rather than spending time worrying about what still needs to be done
...


8

How can I learn to relax?

• Develop an absorbing hobby or interest – an activity that uses your

brain in a completely different way from your everyday work can be
a great release
...
This
is sometimes easier when you are focussing on a shared activity with
others, and not on yourself
...
Talking to them about your day and the

things you find difficult can help you keep things in perspective – and
you can do the same for them
...

• Practise being straightforward and assertive in communicating with

others
...
(See the
Impact Factory website in ‘Useful contacts’ for tips on assertiveness
...
Try to find the real cause
of the problem and deal with it
...


I saw a big road junction in India with a red traffic light that
said, ‘Relax’
...


How can I learn to relax?
Relaxation is the natural answer to stress
...

People often confuse relaxation with recreation
...
If you are already
exhausted in daily life, trying to relax by doing even more is not the answer
...

Instead take the opportunity for a few moments of calm
...

Breathing
Relaxation starts with breathing
...
Learning
to breathe more deeply can make you feel a lot calmer and increase your
sense of wellbeing
...

To improve the way you breathe, try this simple exercise:
• Sit down, or lie down on your back
...

• Notice how you are breathing, how fast, how deeply, and how regularly
...

• Slowly breathe out (count to 11)

• Gently breathe in (count to 7), so that you feel your stomach rise slowly

under your hand
...


• Pause for a few moments and then repeat the process again
...
There should be little or no movement in your upper
chest; your hand should stay still
...


10

How can I learn to relax?

Relaxation techniques
There are three important parts to relaxation techniques:
• Preparation – this means making time for relaxation, choosing a suitable

position (see pp
...

• Method – this should follow a logical sequence, and it will be more

effective if you stick to the suggested order
...
15)
...

Preparation
With regular practice and repetition, relaxation will become second nature
...
It's easier to learn if you are not

interrupted
...

• It's impossible to relax if you are cold, so make sure you are comfortably

warm
...


• If you use a CD or MP3 player have it close by so that you can operate it

without difficulty
...

Whichever relaxation technique you use (see pp
...


11

How to manage stress

Effective positions for relaxation

• Support your head,

neck and knees
• Head should be level,

not tilted back or pushed
forward

• 'Old' recovery position
• Support under head and

knees
• Good if pregnant

• Support under pelvis
• Good if overweight or

with large/heavy bust

Based on drawings by Michael Atherton, previously used
in the now discontinued The Mind guide to relaxation

12

How can I learn to relax?

• Knees high enough

to reduce tension in
stomach muscles
• Legs on chair sideways
• Support right up to

behind knees
• Good for relieving lower

backache

• Ensure table is close

and arms are not
stretched out
• Alternatively, kneel

beside a bed

• Back fully supported

by chair
• Chin and thighs parallel

to the floor
• Feet and hands resting

easily

13

How to manage stress

Method
A simple relaxation exercise
Try this every now and again, especially when you feel under pressure
...

• Have a stretch
...

• Notice any tension in your feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, chest,

arms, shoulders and neck
...

• Try to be peaceful; loosen your jaw and face
...
10
...

Like many other things, relaxation takes practice, but it is possible to learn
how to relax, even for short periods during your working day
...

• Try to slow down your breathing and make it deeper, following the

suggestions on p
...

• With each out-breath, relax each part of your body, in turn, from your

feet to the top of your head
...

• When you have reached your head, just listen to your breathing and

enjoy being still and comfortable
...


Other relaxation exercises may involve actively tensing your muscles in
turn and then relaxing them, starting from your feet and working up to
your head
...
This is fine, so long as
you don’t sleep for too long and cause yourself problems
...

Deep relaxation
Deep relaxation is best learned from an experienced relaxation teacher
(See 'Useful contacts’ for organisations listing practitioners) or a good
relaxation CD
...
This could be in the form of taking yourself
in your mind to a place where you feel relaxed
...
The more immersed you become in this place in your
mind, the more relaxed you will feel
...

Recovery
After a relaxation or breathing exercise, all your body rhythms will have
slowed down, so avoid jumping up quickly as you may become dizzy
...
Say to
yourself, 'I will keep this feeling of calm for as long as I can'
...

Relaxation leaves muscles softened, and it's important to be gentle when
bringing them back into action
...
If lying down, don't pull yourself up using your stomach muscles,
but roll on to your side and push yourself into a sitting position, using your
arms
...


15

How to manage stress

What if relaxation doesn't work for me?
If you have tried relaxation and find it isn’t helping, it may be because:
• You are trying too hard, and in pressurising yourself you are losing the

opportunity to relax
...


• You are so tense or in crisis, that letting go, even for a little bit, is

impossible for you at the moment
...

• You are taking up a poor physical position for relaxation
...


• You can’t concentrate during practice: just listening to a teacher or CD

will have no benefit, if your mind is elsewhere
...


What else can I do to cope with stress?
Acknowledging your problems
Sometimes, people let their lives slip into chaos to mask underlying
problems they are not facing or dealing with
...
(See 'Useful contacts',
and Mind’s booklet Making sense of talking treatments
...


16

What else can I do to cope with stress?

Sleep
Sleep is very important to health, and sleep problems, such as insomnia,
are a common sign of stress
...
If you find you can’t stop worrying
it may help to write a list of the things that are bothering you, or write
yourself a letter about them
...
Some people find it very helpful to keep a
diary
...
My problems become ‘contained’ in the diary and I make sure
I do not write in it immediately before going to bed so I can switch
off from the problems in it
...

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an approach to wellbeing that involves accepting life and
living ‘in the moment’
...
It involves being aware of
each thought, feeling or sensation that comes to you and accepting it
...

– www
...
co
...
It is based on meditation techniques, and ‘moment-tomoment’ awareness – being conscious of what is happening and how you
17

How to manage stress

are feeling right now
...

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is something you may be
able to get a referral for from your GP
...
It is recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence) for recurrent depression, and has also been found to
be effective for anxiety and insomnia
...
Exercise helps to use up the hormones that the body produces
under stress (see pp
...
It will also help to
strengthen the heart and improve blood circulation
...

Exercise does not need to be sporty or competitive; you can benefit simply
by becoming more active, as part of your daily routine
...

Healthy eating
When things get too hectic or difficult, and you feel under stress, it's often
easy to forget about eating well
...
It's
important to make time for regular food or snacks and not to miss out on
meals, such as breakfast
...


18

What else can I do to cope with stress?

The key to a healthy diet is variety of different types of food, with a
balance of protein, carbohydrate, oily fat and fibre, including plenty of fruit
and vegetables
...
It’s important to keep a steady
blood sugar level
...
If you can, try to eat things that
are digested more slowly and give you a steady supply of energy
...
(See the ‘Food and mood’ pages on Mind’s
website for more information
...
Meditation, different types of massage,
aromatherapy, and autogenics (a specialised relaxation technique) are
just a few examples of therapies which some people have found helpful in
relieving stress disorders and promoting relaxation
...
20
...
Whether you unwind by
soaking in a hot bath, browsing through your favourite books, listening
to music, gardening or photography, the important point is to enjoy the
activity, purely for itself, and take your mind off work or whatever is
causing you stress
...
org
...
org
...
Language Line is
available for talking in a language
other than English
...
0845 345 5977
web: bcma
...
uk

British Association for Counselling
and Psychotherapy (BACP)
tel
...
co
...


The British Wheel of Yoga
tel
...
org
...


British Autogenic Society (BAS)
tel
...
org
...


20

The British Holistic Medical
Association
web: bhma
...


First Steps to Freedom – the Anxiety
Actionline
helpline: 0845 120 2916
Offers advice and information to
help with anxiety
...
org
...


How is schizophrenia diagnosed?
Useful contacts

The Institute for Complementary
and Natural Medicine (ICNM)
tel
...
org
...


United Kingdom Council for
Psychotherapy (UKCP)
tel
...
org
...


International Stress Management
Association (ISMA)
tel
...
org
...

Lists stress practioners
...
org
...
org
...
org
...


21

Notes

Further information

Support Mind

Mind offers a range of mental
health information on:
• diagnoses
• treatments
• practical help for wellbeing
• mental health legislation
• where to get help

Providing information costs money
...


To read or print Mind's
information booklets for
free, visit mind
...
uk
or contact Mind infoline on
0300 123 3393 or at
info@mind
...
uk
To buy copies of Mind's
information booklets, visit
mind
...
uk/shop phone
0844 448 4448 or email
publications@mind
...
uk

Just £5 could help another 15
people in need receive essential
practical information booklets
...
020 8215 2243
email: dons@mind
...
uk
web: mind
...
uk/donate

This booklet was written by
Katherine Darton, Mind
Published by Mind 2012 © Mind 2012
To be revised 2014
ISBN 978-1-906759-42-1
No reproduction without permission
Mind is a registered charity No
...
020 8519 2122
fax: 020 8522 1725
web: mind
...
uk

Mind
W
 e're Mind, the mental health charity for England
and Wales
...
We're here for you
...
Now
...
Whether you're stressed,
depressed or in crisis
...
And we'll push for a
better deal and respect for everyone experiencing
a mental health problem
...
org
...
org
Title: How to manage Stress ?
Description: This booklet is for anyone who wants to know how to deal with stress and how to learn to relax... Open to learn more !