Strategies for Coping with Stress

Stress is an inevitable, but uncomfortable, part of life. Everyone feels stressed from time-to-time, whether we're facing big life decisions, a busy uni workload, a difficult relationship, a health crisis, or any number of day-to-day frustrations. While some stress is normal, too much stress can impact our wellbeing, which is our sense of health, security, contentment, and social connection. In fact, excessive or chronic stress can lead to anxiety and depression, damage our physical health, impact our cognition, and hurt our relationships with other people.

Stress is a natural psychological and biological response to a situation that a person sees as challenging or threatening. Some examples of these kinds of situations include public speaking, exams, debt, an awkward work exchange, fighting with a loved one, or meeting new people.

When we encounter a threatening situation like this, our brain releases chemicals that trigger changes in our body to help us cope. For example, these chemicals can help us focus during an exam, push harder in a soccer match, or run away from danger. So, some stress is healthy and unhelpful!

Chronic or excessive stress, however, can significantly impact your mental and physical health. Too much stress can make you feel nauseous, tense, and tried, interfere with your sleep, cognition, and concentration, and impact your mood and ability to enjoy life.

Strategies for coping with stress:

Managing Muscle Tension

• Inactivity can make muscle tension worse. Try to stand up and move around a little throughout your day.
• Do some gentle stretches in the evening, to release tension and increase feelings of relaxation.
• Take some time out of your day to breathe deeply and purposefully relax your muscles, from your head to your toes. You might be surprised at how much tension you hold during the day without even realising.
• If your muscle pain is intense or persistent, see your doctor or a physio for further advice.