What is Stress?
Image source: MHFA England
It is important to recognise when you are starting to feel stressed. To do this you need to be able to tune into how you are feeling and know where you are most likely to start feeling stress in your body. Some people have clear physical signs that they are experiencing stress. It might be a change in breathing patterns, tension in the jaw, headaches or nausea.
The Stress Bucket
The Stress Bucket is a visual representation of how pressure can build and a reminder of how to manage and cope with stress.
Image source: The stress bucket – Mental Health UK (mentalhealth-uk.org
You can see here that the bucket is filled up with different types of stress. Sometimes you might feel resilient and able to cope with these stresses, particularly if you’re able to identify what helps you cope with the stress.
Stop and Reflect:
Use the worksheet below to consider your own Stress Bucket and identify what helps you reduce stress and how you can prioritise these things when pressures build.