Stress

When Life Feels Like Too Much

Stress is your body’s natural response to challenge and demand. In small doses, it can sharpen focus and drive performance. But when stress becomes chronic - when the demands keep coming without adequate time to recover - it starts to take a serious toll.

Signs of Chronic Stress

Mental strain: Difficulty concentrating. Racing or scattered thoughts. Forgetfulness. Feeling overwhelmed by decisions.

Emotional impact: Irritability, frustration, or short temper. Feeling anxious or low. Loss of motivation or enjoyment.

Physical symptoms: Muscle tension, headaches, digestive issues. Sleep difficulties. Fatigue. Getting ill more often.

Behavioural changes: Neglecting self-care. Relying on alcohol, food, or other quick fixes. Withdrawing from activities and relationships.

The Cumulative Effect

Chronic stress doesn’t just feel unpleasant - it has real consequences for health and wellbeing. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones affects immune function, cardiovascular health, mood regulation, and cognitive performance.

Many people live with elevated stress for so long they forget what feeling well actually feels like.

Sources of Stress

Stress can arise from virtually any area of life:

• Work pressures: deadlines, difficult colleagues, job insecurity, or long hours
• Relationship strain: conflict, caring responsibilities, or loneliness
• Life transitions: moving, career changes, becoming a parent, or retirement
• Financial worries
• Health concerns - your own or a loved one’s
• World events and uncertainty

Often it’s the combination of multiple stressors that tips the balance.

How Therapy Helps

Working with a Clinical Psychologist can help you:

Understand your stress patterns: Identifying triggers, recognising early warning signs, and understanding what makes you particularly vulnerable.

Develop practical coping strategies: Tools and techniques you can use in daily life to manage stress more effectively.

Address unhelpful thinking: Challenging the thoughts that amplify stress - catastrophising, perfectionism, or taking on too much responsibility.

Make meaningful changes: Exploring boundaries, priorities, and values to create a more sustainable way of living.

Build resilience: Developing resources to handle future challenges with greater ease.

We draw on approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness-based interventions, tailored to your particular circumstances.

Investing in Yourself

Learning to manage stress effectively isn’t a luxury - it’s essential for long-term health and wellbeing. The strategies you develop in therapy become tools for life.

Contact us to discuss how we can support you.

Related Reading

• Coping with Sunday Night Anxiety - Managing the weekly stress cycle
• The Benefits of Mindful Walking for Mental Health - A simple stress-relief practice
• Practical Evidence-Based Strategies to Help Manage Anxiety - Tools for daily stress management