Your guide

to stress
and anxiety
 Contents
What is stress? 3

What is anxiety? 4

What are the symptoms of anxiety? 6

What is a panic attack? 7

How can I manage stress? 8

How can I manage anxiety? 9

How can I get professional help? 11

How can I help someone else? 15

© 2015 The information in this booklet is adapted from content

originally published at mind.org.uk. Our content has been certified
as trustworthy and reliable by The Information Standard.

To find out more about stress and anxiety, or to give feedback on

this booklet, go to mind.org.uk or email info@mind.org.uk

2
Feeling under pressure is a normal part of life. It can be a
useful drive that helps you take action, feel more energised
and get results. But if you become overwhelmed by feelings
of stress and anxiety often, this could start to seriously
affect your mental health.

What is stress?
We all know what it’s like to feel stressed, but it’s not easy to pin down
exactly what stress means. When we say things like “this is stressful”
or “I’m stressed”, we might be talking about:
Situations or events that put pressure on us – the times where we have
lots to do and think about, or don’t have much control over what happens.
Our reaction to being placed under pressure – the feelings we get when
we have demands placed on us that we find difficult to cope with.
There’s no medical definition of stress, and health care professionals often
disagree over whether stress is the cause of problems or the result of them.

Is stress a mental health problem?

No, but it is closely linked to your mental health because stress can
cause mental health problems, and make existing problems worse.
If you’re often overwhelmed by stress, you might develop a problem like
anxiety; and when you experience anxiety, lots of everyday situations
could become very stressful for you. This can feel like a vicious circle.

3
 What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a word we use to describe feelings of unease, worry and fear.
It covers both the emotions and the physical sensations we might
experience when we are worried or nervous about something.
We all know what it’s like to feel anxious from time to time. It’s common to
feel tense, nervous and perhaps fearful at the thought of a stressful event
or decision you’re facing – especially if it could have a big impact on your
life. For example:

sitting an exam moving away from home

going into hospital having a baby
attending an interview being diagnosed with an illness
starting a new job deciding to get married or divorced.

In situations like these, it’s understandable to have worries about how you
will perform, or what the outcome will be. You might find it hard to sleep,
eat or concentrate. Then usually, after a short while or when the situation
has passed, the feelings of worry stop.

When does anxiety become a mental health problem?

It’s sometimes hard to know when anxiety is becoming a problem for you –
but if your feelings of anxiety are very strong, or last for a long time, it can
be overwhelming.
You may be worrying all the time, perhaps about things that are
a regular part of everyday life, or about things that aren’t likely
to happen – or even worrying about worrying.
You might regularly experience unpleasant physical and psychological
effects of anxiety.
If anxiety or stress are affecting your ability to live your life the way you’d
like to, it’s worth thinking about ways to help yourself.

4
For me, anxiety feels as if everyone
in the world is waiting for me to trip up,
so that they can laugh at me. It makes
me feel nervous and unsure whether the
next step I take is the best way forward.
5
 What are the symptoms
of anxiety?
Anxiety can feel different for different people, but there are lots of
common symptoms. You might also experience other kinds of feelings,
which aren’t listed here.

Physical sensations Psychological sensations

nausea (feeling sick) feeling tense, nervous and on edge

tense muscles and headaches
pins and needles
feeling light headed or dizzy
faster breathing
sweating or hot flushes
a fast, thumping or
irregular heart beat
raised blood pressure
difficulty sleeping
needing the toilet more
or less frequently
churning in the pit of your stomach
you might experience a panic attack
having a sense of dread, or fearing
the worst
feeling like the world is speeding
up or slowing down
feeling like other people can
see you’re anxious and are
looking at you
feeling your mind is really
busy with thoughts
dwelling on negative experiences,
or thinking over a situation again
and again (this is called rumination)
feeling restless and not
being able to concentrate
feeling numb

What are the long-term effects of anxiety?

If you have felt anxious for a long time or you’re frequently anxious,
you may experience:
problems sleeping smoking or drinking a lot,
or misusing drugs
depression
a change in your sex drive.
a lowered immune system

6
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is an exaggeration of your body’s normal response to fear,
stress or excitement, and they can happen when you’re experiencing anxiety.
During a panic attack you’ll feel a rapid build-up of overwhelming physical
sensations, such as:

a pounding heartbeat feeling unable to breathe

feeling faint shaky limbs, or feeling like
sweating your legs are turning to jelly

nausea (feeling sick) feeling like you’re not

connected to your body.
chest pains

You might also feel very afraid that you’re losing control or having a heart
attack, and that you’re about to pass out, or even die.
Panic attacks are different for different people. Most attacks last for between
5 and 20 minutes, but sometimes symptoms can last for up to an hour. If this
happens you are probably experiencing one attack after another, or a high
level of anxiety after the initial panic attack.

I could feel all these

symptoms building inside
me, literally filling every
part of my body until I felt
completely light-headed and
disembodied, like I couldn’t
breathe, I just wanted to get
out, go somewhere else,
but I couldn’t because
I was on a train.
7
 How can I manage stress?
There may be things in your life that you can’t control, but there are
things you can do to manage day-to-day feelings of stress.

Find out what triggers your feelings of stress. You can then think about
what you can change to manage them.

Identify your best time of day and do your important tasks at that time.

Get organised. Make a to-do list of tasks in order of importance.

Try to focus on the most urgent first.

Vary your activities. Balance interesting tasks with more mundane ones.

Take regular breaks. Give yourself a break when things are getting on
top of you – get a hot drink or a glass of water or take a short stroll.

Try not to do too much at once. This can make you feel under even
more pressure.

Practise being assertive with others. If people are making unreasonable

or unrealistic demands on you, be prepared to tell them how you feel
and say no.

Resolve conflicts if you can. It can be hard to speak to a manager,

colleague or family member about problems between you, but it can
help to move forward.

Reward yourself for achievements, even small things like finishing

a piece of work or making a decision. You could take a walk, treat
yourself to food you enjoy, or simply say “well done” to yourself.

Forgive yourself when you don’t meet your own expectations.

Nobody’s perfect, and adding pressure on yourself doesn’t help.

Find balance in your life. You may find that one part of your life is
taking up almost all of your time and energy. Try to focus on other
parts of your life as well, like family, friends or hobbies.

For more tips on managing stress, go to mind.org.uk/stress

8
 I find going for a
walk great, even
if I can’t go far.
I walk around the
garden and eat my
lunch outside.

How can I manage anxiety?

Facing up to how anxiety makes you feel can be the first step in breaking
the cycle.
There are many things you can do to help yourself cope.

Talk to someone you trust

You may find that they have encountered a similar problem and can talk
you through it. Sometimes having someone listen and showing they care
will be enough to help.

Try a breathing exercise

Gently breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, keeping
the pace slow and regular. Slowly tense then relax the muscles in your
body, starting at your toes and working up to your head. Afterwards,
just take some time to be still and focus on how your body feels.

Try shifting your focus

Distract yourself with something that you find interesting or comforting.
Really notice the details, the colours and any smells or sounds.

Listen to music
Listening to something you find peaceful or you enjoy can help you to
feel calmer.

9
 Try reassuring yourself
Tell yourself that the symptoms you experience are caused by anxiety.
They are not dangerous and will pass. This can also help you feel less
afraid of any future occurrences.

Do physical exercise
Going for a walk or a run can help you get some time to yourself to think
things over, away from everyday stresses. If you’re not able to do exercise
outdoors or have limited mobility, think about what you can do indoors.

Keep a diary
Keeping a note of what happens each time you get anxious can help
you spot patterns and help you deal with these situations in the future.
Also keep a note of when you successfully manage your anxiety.
It’s good to remind yourself of when you’ve felt more in control.

Eat healthily
You may find it easier to relax if you avoid stimulants such as coffee,
cigarettes and alcohol. Eating healthily can also help with managing anxiety.

Try online peer support

Sometimes sharing your experiences with people who’ve been through
something similar can help you feel less alone. elefriends.org.uk and
bigwhitewall.com both offer supportive online communities where you
can talk openly about your mental health.

Try complementary therapies

This could include yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, massage,
reflexology, herbal treatments, Bach flower remedies and hypnotherapy.

Talk to a professional
If you often feel overwhelmed, you can speak to your doctor.
They can check your overall health, and help you access treatments.

For more information about anxiety, go to mind.org.uk/anxiety

10
How can I get professional help?
Seeking professional help can be a really important step towards
getting and staying well, but it can be hard to know how to start or
where to turn to.
It’s common to feel unsure about seeking support for anxiety. You may
feel like you should handle things on your own. But it’s always ok for
you to seek help – even if you’re not sure if what you’re experiencing
is a mental health problem.
Common reasons why you might choose to seek help include:
finding it difficult to cope with your thoughts and feelings
thoughts and feelings having an impact on your day-to-day life
wanting to find out more about what support is available.

The first time I went to

my GP… I was terrified.
I’d suffered in silence
for 6 months, and was so
ashamed that I couldn’t
‘fix’ it myself. Thankfully
my GP was lovely, and
really seemed to care.

11
 Who can I talk to?
The best way to start is normally by talking to a health care professional,
such as your doctor (also known as your General Practitioner or GP).

Your GP can:
assess your physical and mental health
offer you support and treatments
refer you to a specialist service

What should I say to my doctor?

It can be hard to know how to talk to your doctor about your mental
health – especially when you’re experiencing anxiety. But remember,
there is no wrong way to tell someone how you’re feeling.

Here are some things to consider:

Be honest and open.
Focus on how you feel, not on whether or not you meet a diagnosis.
Try to explain how you’ve been feeling over the past few months
or weeks, and anything that has changed.
Use words and descriptions that feel natural to you – you don’t have
to say specific things to get help.
Try not to worry that your problem is too small or unimportant –
everyone deserves help and your doctor is there to support you.

For more information about seeking help,

go to mind.org.uk/seekinghelp

12
Being as open
and honest
as possible,
even though
extremely
difficult, is what
has assisted me.

13
Be kind, be
non-judgemental…
let us know it
will pass, let
us know you
are there.

14
How can I help someone else?
This section is for friends, family and colleagues who wish to support
someone who is experiencing anxiety.
It can be really difficult when someone you care about is experiencing
anxiety, but there are things you can do to help.

Empathise
Try to think about how you feel when you are anxious about something
yourself, and how you prefer people to help. You might not see the
situation exactly the same way, but this might help you understand better
how they feel.
Try not to put pressure on
It’s understandable to want to help someone face their fear, or focus on
leading them towards practical solutions. But it can be very distressing for
someone to face situations before they’re ready – it could make them feel
more anxious. Instead, you can support them to do what they feel
comfortable with.

Ask how you can help

The person you’re caring for may already know how you can support
them – for example by going through a breathing exercise together,
or by offering a distraction.

Look after yourself

Supporting someone else can be stressful for you. Taking care of your
own wellbeing can help you maintain the energy, time and distance you
need to be able to help someone else.

For more information on helping someone else,

go to mind.org.uk/friendsandfamily

15
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