Stress

Stress is a common and normal response to challenging or new situations. It is the way your body tries to keep you safe.

Stress has both mental and physical aspects. When you are stressed, your body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline. This brings on physical changes in your body, which help you respond to the stressful situation.

While everyone will feel stress at times, each person's experience will be different. Knowing what makes you stressed and how you respond to different challenges in life will help you manage stressful periods.

Productive stress

The body's stress response is also called the 'fight or flight' response. This is because it relates to how your body has adapted to respond to danger. During stressful situations, your body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones help keep you alert and better prepared to face challenges.

This is usually known as acute stress. This is stress that lasts for a short period of time.

In healthy amounts, stress can improve our:

• performance
• focus
• motivation
• resilience
• overall functioning

Problematic stress

Stress becomes a problem when it lasts a long time, or if you feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with your situation. When this happens, it's important to take steps to manage your stress so you can continue to function well in your daily life.

There are different types of problematic stress, such as:

• chronic stress — stress that lasts for a long period of time
• burnout — a loss of energy and interest
• stress-related mental health conditions — such as generalised anxiety disorder, depression and adjustment disorder

Acute or short-term stress can also be problematic if it is caused by a severe or life-threatening event. This can lead to mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder.

Stress can be triggered by different life experiences or psychosocial hazards. Everyone is stressed by different things.

Some things that may cause short-term stress include:

• sitting an exam
• starting a new job
• working towards a deadline
• giving a speech in front of others

Some common external causes of chronic stress include: 

• major life events, such as a death in the family or divorce
• family illness or chronic health problems
• problems at work or school such as bullying or harassment
• financial issues or relationship worries

Sometimes, internal stress can be brought on by self-criticism. Negative self-talk and feeling as though you aren't meeting your own or others' expectations can be very stressful. This can put a strain on both your mental and physical health.

There are different ways to manage your stress. If you need support, you can speak to your doctor for advice.

Read more about mental health resources.

Avoid unhealthy coping strategies

If you are struggling with stress, it is important to avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms. These can include:

• avoiding things that cause you stress
• avoiding other people
• using drugs or alcohol
• restricting your diet
• self-harm

Stress management

It’s important to take time to relax. Relaxation techniques can help you manage stress and boost your ability to cope healthily. There are many different relaxation techniques. It's important you find the ones that work for you.

You can try:

• slow breathing
• progressive muscle relaxation
• mindfulness
• meditation
• yoga
• exercise

Prepare for stress

Take time to learn what triggers your stress and try to understand why. This way, you can prepare for stress.

Planning for stressful situations can help you cope and prevent you from avoiding activities. You can try:

• setting small goals to get through the stress
• recognising that this stress will pass
• asking family and friends for help
• practising saying no if you are too busy or overwhelmed to take on another task

Behavioural activation

Behavioural activation is when you plan for a mix of tasks that improve your mood and make you feel accomplished.

Behavioural activation can help you manage stress by helping you feel motivated for daily activities.

Lifestyle adjustments

Healthy habits can help you to manage stress. This can include:

• eating well
• doing physical exercise
• sleeping well
• doing fun things

Workplace adjustments

If your work is contributing to your stress, speak to your employer. You can ask about adjusting things to help you cope with stress, like:

• changing your workload
• changing the days you work
• taking time off work

Your company may also have support services available, such as an Employee Assistance Program. You can ask your employer about what is available to you.

Getting help

Friends and family can be a great source of support, but at times you may feel you need help from a professional.

Speaking to your doctor or calling a mental health telephone service are good first steps to try.

These services can:

• assess your health
• ask you about your symptoms
• give you advice for stress management

Your doctor can help make you a mental health treatment plan if needed.

These services can help you connect with other mental health professionals. These may include a:

• counsellor
• psychologist
• social worker

These health professionals can work with you to identify the source of your stress and develop coping strategies.

Psychologists and other therapists use a range of approaches to help manage stress and anxiety. One evidence-based approach is cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), which focuses on how your thoughts and actions affect how you feel. If needed, a mental health professional can also speak with you about medication that may help.

The point where stress becomes problematic is different for everyone. There are signs you can look out for.

Impacts on your daily function

Too much stress can make it difficult to do everyday tasks in your life. It can also make it harder to function in other areas of your life, such as:

• at work or school — you may find it harder to concentrate or perform to your best
• if you are caring for someone — you may find it harder to cope
• in your relationships — you may find it harder to maintain relationships

Impacts on your emotional and mental health

• feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
• feeling 'on edge' or unable to stop worrying
• changes in mood, irritability, or anger
• thoughts of self-harm or suicide

If you, or someone you know, is having suicidal thoughts and is in immediate danger, call triple zero (000). For help and support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Impacts on your physical and behavioural health

When you are stressed, you may notice symptoms such as:

• trembling
• an increased heart rate
• sweating

Stress can have impacts on your physical health, such as:

• changes in sleep patterns and feelings of exhaustion
• changes in appetite
• headaches
• muscle tension
• nausea
• skin irritation
• getting sick more often

It's important not to leave your stress unmanaged.

Chronic stress can cause long-term health problems and symptoms.

Breathing

During stressful periods, rapid breathing sends more oxygen around the body. If you have an existing respiratory condition such as asthma, this can make it harder for you to breathe. Faster breathing can also lead to hyperventilation and, for some people, panic attacks.

Blood pressure

Stress causes your body to make adrenaline. Adrenaline makes your heart beat faster than usual. This helps your body respond to stress, but it also raises your blood pressure. If you are experiencing long or frequent episodes of stress, high blood pressure can lead to heart problems.

Cardiovascular problems

Long-term stress can lead to cardiovascular problems such as:

• arrhythmias
• heart disease
• blood clots
• heart attack

Diabetes

When you are stressed, your body produces more glucose to give you extra energy. If this happens frequently, it can put you at a greater risk of type 2 diabetes.

Fertility and sex

Living with chronic stress can reduce your desire for sex and change your menstrual cycle.

Muscles

When you are in a stressful situation, your muscles tense up, in preparation for a 'fight or flight' response and to protect your body from a potential injury.

After a stressful event, your muscles relax, and your blood pressure returns to normal. If stress becomes chronic, your muscles may not have the chance to relax. This can cause:

• back pain
• neck pain
• shoulder pain
• headaches
• body aches

Immunity

When you are stressed, your immune system becomes fatigued. This can:

• make you more vulnerable to infection and illness
• cause you to take longer to recover
• increase your risk of conditions such as thyroid disease

Skin and hair

Long-term stress is associated with skin conditions such as:

• acne
• hair loss
• rashes and irritation

Sleep

Being stressed for a long time can affect your sleep. You may struggle to fall asleep, even if you are exhausted.

Substance use

Ongoing stress can place you at risk of unhealthy substance use.

Stress is not a diagnosis. Your signs of stress are a clue that something else is going on. Chronic stress could be a sign of a mental health condition.

You should seek help if:

• you still feel overwhelmed after trying relaxation and other healthy coping techniques and speaking to someone you trust
• your stress is making your regular activities difficult
• you notice that you are turning to unhealthy coping strategies
• you notice changes to your appetite or sleep
• you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide

Speaking to your doctor or calling a mental health telephone service are both good first steps to getting help. These services can give you support and connect you with more help.

For example, for advice and to connect to local mental health services, call Medicare Mental Health (Opens in new tab) on 1800 595 212.

It's not possible to prevent stress altogether — life will be stressful at times. Remember that some stress can be positive and motivating. This way, you can aim to find the right balance between productive stress and an unhelpful level of stress.

Make sure you have time to relax each day. This can help release tension caused by stress.

Daily exercise has many benefits for your overall health and wellbeing, including reducing stress. Activities as simple as going for a walk can improve your mental health and help prevent you from feeling overly stressed.

There are some tools available that may help you with managing stress:

• Beyond Blue’s Wellbeing Action Plan (Opens in new tab) can help you figure out what works best for you to manage your stress.
• ReachOut (Opens in new tab) offers tools and apps to help reduce stress with mindfulness and meditation.
• MindSpot's wellbeing course (Opens in new tab) aims to reduce stress and anxiety.
• Learn how to deal with stress with THIS WAY UP's stress management course (Opens in new tab).

With a letter from your doctor, you can access a THIS WAY UP treatment program for free. You can also find resources on the THIS WAY UP website, including:

• turning distress into healthy stress (Opens in new tab)
• effective ways of coping with stress (Opens in new tab)
• addressing stress (Opens in new tab)
• protecting sleep during stressful times (Opens in new tab)

For mental health support and resources:

• Contact Beyond Blue (Opens in new tab) on 1300 22 4636 to talk to a counsellor.
• Check out SANE (Opens in new tab) for online resources or call their support line on 1800 187 263. Free translating and interpreting services (TIS) are available on 131 450.
• Call Medicare Mental Health (Opens in new tab) for free on 1800 595 212 for mental health information and referral.

Languages other than English

If you speak a language other than English, there are resources available.

Visit the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health (Opens in new tab) website for information in different languages.

THIS WAY UP's coping tools and worksheets (Opens in new tab) are available in various languages.

Transcultural Mental Health (Opens in new tab) provides information and services for people from other cultures or people who prefer languages other than English.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

If you are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, there are resources available.

Call 13YARN (13 92 76) for free and confidential services run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis support workers.

Visit the Medicare Mental Health website (Opens in new tab) for resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people (Opens in new tab).

Black Dog Institute provides social and emotional wellbeing resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people (Opens in new tab).

If you are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health professional, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (Opens in new tab) has information on looking after yourself (Opens in new tab).

You can read more about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples' social and emotional wellbeing.