Life is busy, work is busy, relationships are demanding, parenting feels relentless, and yet, at the same time many of these things can be our greatest source of joy, purpose and value. Living a life without stress is unrealistic. However if you find you are often describing yourself as feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and spread too thin, the chances are that stress is maybe having greater hold on you than you would like. 

Understanding how stress is affecting you

What we find stressful is different for us all. Understanding the complexities of stress, it's role in your brain and on your body is crucial, as is being honest with yourself about how it is affecting you.

Imagine your mind as a 'stress bucket.' This bucket represents your capacity to handle life's pressures, with each stressor adding a little more water to your bucket. For some, this bucket might be large, allowing them to manage more stress, while for others, it could be smaller, filling up more quickly. When the bucket overflows, it symbolises feeling overwhelmed, a point where stress becomes unmanageable and starts impacting your mental and physical well-being. This can affect both work and our personal life. The key to preventing this overflow is not just in reducing the incoming stress but also in creating outlets – small holes in the bucket – which are your coping mechanisms and relaxation techniques. Therapy sessions can help you work out where you can create outlets and work towards the life you want to have.