What is stress?

Stress is a common and normal response to challenging or new situations.

Stress has both mental and physical aspects. When you are stressed, your body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline. This brings on physical changes in your body, which help you respond to the stressful situation.

While everyone will feel stress at times, each person's experience will be different. Knowing what makes you stressed and how you respond to different challenges in life will help you manage stressful periods.

Productive stress

The body's stress response is also called the 'fight or flight' response, because it relates to how your body has adapted to respond to danger. During stressful situations, your body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones help keep you alert and better prepared to face challenges.

In healthy amounts, stress can improve our performance, resilience, and overall functioning.

Problematic stress

Stress becomes a problem when it lasts a long time, or if you feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with your situation. When this happens, it's important to take steps to manage your stress so you can continue to function well in your daily life.

What are some common causes of stress?

Stress can be triggered by different life experiences. Everyone is stressed by different things, but common external causes of stress include:

• major life events, such as a death in the family or divorce
• family illness or health problems
• problems at work or school
• financial issues or relationship worries

Sometimes, internal stress can be brought on by anxiety, depression or self-criticism. Negative self-talk and feeling as though you aren't meeting your own or others' expectations can be very stressful. This can put a strain on both your mental and physical health.

How can I manage my stress?

Use your strengths and skills to make a positive plan to address stressful events in your life and your coping mechanisms.

Whether your stress is internal or external, relaxation techniques can help you manage stress and boost your ability to cope. There are many different techniques, and it's important you find the ones that work for you. Examples include:

• slow breathing
• progressive muscle relaxation
• mindfulness
• meditation
• yoga
• exercise

Friends and family can be a great source of support, but at times you may feel you need help from a professional. Consider talking to a counsellor, psychologist or social worker who can work with you to identify the source of your stress and develop coping strategies.

Psychologists and other therapists use a range of approaches to help manage stress and anxiety. One evidence-based approach is cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) which focuses on how your thoughts and actions affect how you feel.

Read more on relaxation techniques for stress relief, or watch this video from This Way Up about ways to cope during stressful or difficult times.

How do I know if I'm too stressed?

The key to stress management is finding the right balance between productive stress and stress that makes you feel overwhelmed and unproductive.

The point where stress is no longer productive is different for everyone, but you might look out for the following clues.

Emotional and mental signs:

• feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
• feeling 'on edge' or unable to stop worrying
• difficulty concentrating
• changes in mood, irritability, or anger
• thoughts of self-harm or suicide

Physical and behavioural signs:

• changes in sleep patterns or feeling exhausted
• changes in appetite
• physical reactions such as headaches, muscle tension, upset stomach
• withdrawal from friends and family
• reliance on alcohol or other substances to cope

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

When should I see my doctor?

If you have tried relaxation techniques and reaching out to someone you trust, but still feel overwhelmed, consider seeing your doctor or speaking with a mental health professional.

Stress is not a diagnosis but rather a clue that something else is going on. Chronic stress could be a sign of depression, anxiety or another mental health condition. GPs and psychologists are trained to recognise when stress is a sign that you need extra support, so don't hesitate to reach out for advice.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

How can I prevent stress?

It's not always possible to prevent stress altogether — life can be stressful. If you remember that some stress can be positive and motivating, you can aim to find the right balance between productive stress and an unhelpful level of stress.

Making sure you have time to relax each day will also help prevent a build-up of tension in your body and your mind.

Daily exercise has many benefits for your overall health and wellbeing, including reducing stress. Activities as simple as going for a walk or taking part in a team sport can also improve your mental health and help prevent you from feeling overly stressed.

Take time to learn what triggers your stress and try to understand why. Structured problem solving is another form of psychological therapy that can help, by identifying solutions to prevent your stress levels from escalating.

What happens if I don't manage my stress?

It's important not to leave your stress unmanaged. Chronic stress may cause long-term health problems, including these physical symptoms:

Breathing

During stressful periods, rapid breathing sends more oxygen around the body. If you have an existing respiratory condition such as asthma, this can make it harder for you to breathe. Faster breathing can also lead to hyperventilation and, for some people, panic attacks.

Blood pressure

Stress causes your heart to beat faster than usual, so it can pump more blood to your body organs and muscles. In the short term, this helps your body respond to stress, but it also raises your blood pressure. If you are experiencing long or frequent episodes of stress, high blood pressure can lead to heart problems.

Stomach (gut)

When you are stressed, your body produces more glucose to give you extra energy. If this happens frequently, it can put you at a greater risk of type 2 diabetes. Hormones adrenaline and cortisol released by your body in response to stress can also give you an upset stomach or reflux when too much acid is produced.

Fertility and sexuality

Living with chronic stress leads to your mind and body feeling exhausted. This may reduce your desire for sex and can lead to fertility problems.

Muscles

When you are in a stressful situation, your muscles tense up, in preparation for a 'fight or flight' response and to protect your body from a potential injury. After a stressful event, your muscles relax, and your blood pressure returns to normal. If stress becomes chronic, your muscles may not have the chance to relax. This can cause back, neck and shoulder pain, which can lead to headaches and body aches.

Immunity

When you are stressed, your body's immune system is stimulated to help heal wounds or injuries. If you have long periods of stress, your immune system becomes fatigued. This can make you more vulnerable to infection and illness and can cause you to take longer to recover.

Skin and hair

Stress hormones increase oil production which will make your skin more sensitive and oily. Over time, it may cause acne or hair loss.

Resources and support

Here are some tools to try help you with managing stress:

• Try completing the Beyond Blue Wellbeing Action Plan, which can help you figure out what works best for you to manage your stress.
• Learn how to deal with stress with THIS WAY UP's stress management course.
• ReachOut offers tools and apps to help reduce stress with mindfulness and meditation.
• Sign up for MindSpot's wellbeing course, which aim to reduce stress and anxiety.

For mental health support and resources:

• Contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 to talk to a counsellor.
• Check out SANE for online resources or call their support line on 1800 187 263. Free translating and interpreting services (TIS) are available on 131 450.
• Call Head to Health for free on 1800 595 212 for mental health information and referral.

Looking for information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people?

• Call 13YARN (13 92 76) for free and confidential services run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
• Black Dog Institute provides social and emotional wellbeing resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Looking for information in languages other than English?

• THIS WAY UP's coping tools and worksheets are available in various languages
• Transcultural Mental Health provides information and services for people from other cultures or people who prefer languages other than English.