What actually is stress, and is it always bad?
Stress is a normal feeling which we all experience throughout our lives. It’s often our body’s natural response to challenging situations or in moments where we feel under pressure. For example, we may feel stressed due to our workload and deadlines, financial pressures or relationships.
But stress isn’t always a bad thing.
Usually, feeling stressed is a short-term experience which lessens with time or once the situation changes. In these cases, stress can positively impact us, as it:
- Motivates us to take action and perform at your best
- Sharpens focus, creativity and energy in short bursts
- Builds confidence and resilience when balanced with rest
However, too much stress, or stress over an extended period of time, can become overwhelming and stop us from performing at our best. If left unmanaged, intense or long-lasting feelings of stress can negatively impact our physical and mental health as it can have a ripple effect across lots of aspects of our lives and put us at a higher risk of burnout. Therefore, it’s essential to know the difference between stress and burnout, in order to spot the signs and proactively manage feelings of stress early.
Stress vs Burnout
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. It is often caused by prolonged and excessive stressed, when we feel overwhelmed and unable to meet demands. Some common signs of burnout include:
- Unexplained exhaustion, fatigue and headaches
- Detachment and feelings of hopelessness
- Loss of motivation
- Becoming more isolated
- Feeling overloaded and unable to cope
On the surface, stress and burnout can seem quite similar but there are some distinct differences:
- Duration – stress is temporary, while burnout is a gradual process which builds up over time
- Impact – feelings of stress trigger our bodies ‘fight or flight’ response, motivating us to take action. Whereas burnout can cause a sense of helplessness and disengagement
- Recovery – stress can be managed with relaxation techniques and changes to our lifestyle, but burnout may require more intervention and recovery time.
Ultimately, stress is an unavoidable part of life and something which we will all experience from time to time, but burnout is preventable. Understanding the differences and being able to recognise your own warning signs can help you to take proactive steps to manage your stress early.
What are the warning signs?
Stress can manifest itself in lots of different ways and everybody will have their own warning signs which are unique to them. Sometimes, we might be able to tell straightaway when we feel stressed, but other times the signs can be more subtle. As a result, it’s important that we take the time to regularly check in with ourselves to consider how we have been feeling and if there’s been any changes.
While stress looks different for everyone, some common signs include:
- Headaches and muscle tension
- Feeling fatigued and tired
- Irritability or mood swings
- Low mood or sadness
- Changes in appetite
- Feeling more anxious or worried than usual
- Trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
- Difficulty concentrating
- Being unable to mentally “switch off”
- Drinking, smoking or gambling more than usual
Top tips for reducing stress
Once we recognise the warning signs within ourselves that we may be experiencing too much negative stress, we can begin to take intention steps which seem small in practice but can make a big difference in how we cope with daily pressures.
Your strategies for reducing stress will be personal and unique to you. If something helps you to feel rested and restored, then it doesn’t need to make sense to anybody else. However, if you’re unsure where to start when it comes to reducing your stress, you may want to consider the following tips:
1. Implement a consistent sleep schedule where possible which allows you to switch off. Sleep hygiene habits can include consistent timings, a dark and cool environment, limiting the use of technology before sleep, avoiding large meals along with caffeine or alcohol before bed, and being physically active throughout the day.
2. Setting boundaries and sticking to work times. This could include logging off on time, taking your full lunch break where possible, and not replying to emails in your personal time.
3. Practicing mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises or journaling at the end of a stressful day.
4. Regular movement and exercise such as getting outdoors for a short walk to reset after work, or taking micro-breaks throughout the day to stretch.
5. Having a physical checklist or to-do list to have a visual way of staying of top of things (sometimes our to-do lists feel bigger in our heads!).
6. Having a routine which incorporates set time for self-care.
7. Lean on your support network, check in with those around you and try to open up about how you’re feeling. You’re not alone and it’s okay to ask for help.
Stress is a natural part of life, but it doesn’t have to control it. Managing stress isn’t about doing everything perfectly and avoiding pressure, it’s about finding what strategies work for you and prioritising time for rest and recovery.