Stress can be a mixture of feeling under pressure, worried, tense, upset, sad or angry all at once! It involves feeling we are under pressure without the resource to cope.

Everybody experiences stress but when it interferes with every day life it can become a problem and hard to recognise or manage.

Some people are more aware of what causes their stress and this helps them prevent it escalating or handle it more effectively. Many others are less able to deal with stress but identifying stressors is a key step in learning how to do this.

Sometimes stress can have  physical or emotional symptoms such as:

• Being irritable or moody
• Difficulty concentrating
• Struggling to make decisions
• Feeling sad
• Feeling restless
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Disturbed sleep patterns
• Worrying or feeling anxious
• Being forgetful  
• Muscle tension or pain
• Headaches or dizziness
• Stomach issues
• Increased blood pressure
• Changes in appetite
• Chest pains
• Reduce your immune system

These symptoms might affect your quality of life and you might notice your school work or relationships suffer as a result.

Tips to help you manage stress:

• Try and identify your stressors – this might be one big thing or lots of little things all at once!
• Eat and sleep well
• Exercise
• Try to be as organised as you can 
• Take a break and take things slowly
• Talk to supportive, safe people
• Try to find time to relax or do things you enjoy
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help- we all need it sometimes!

Sometimes it can feel easier to use unhelpful coping mechanisms such as:

• Smoking or vaping
• Illegal drugs or drinking alcohol
• Caffeine use such as energy drinks
• Gambling
• Fighting
• Self harm behaviours like hurting yourself or using food to manage distressed feelings

These things might make you feel you have reduced your stress in the short term but can have other negative consequences.