Stress

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Stressed out!

Everyone feels stressed at times, however young or old you are. We can feel under pressure, worried, upset, sad and angry or you might feel a mixture of uncomfortable feelings we can't quite explain. It’s usually because things in our life are difficult, or because we aren’t getting on well with other people. Most of these stressful things only last a short time – then they get sorted out.

Coping with stress

We all react in different ways to stress. How you deal with it depends on your personality and on how well you cope with things. It also depends on whether you’ve got someone you can trust to talk to. Understanding and support from others makes it much easier to cope with stress.

The effects stress can have on you

Stress can affect you mentally as well as physically. It’s hard to keep your mind on your work and therefore harder to solve problems. It’s more difficult to cope with frustration and control your temper. You might get depressed or lose your appetite. Stress that goes on for a long time can be exhausting and can make you ill.

Signs of depression

If you are stressed for a long period you may get depressed and this could affect your whole life. Signs of depression are:

being moody and irritable – easily upset, ‘ratty’ or tearful
becoming withdrawn – avoiding friends, family and regular activities
feeling guilty or bad, being self-critical and self-blaming – hating yourself
feeling unhappy, miserable and lonely a lot of the time
feeling hopeless and wanting to die
having difficulty concentrating
not looking after your personal appearance
having difficulty getting off to sleep or waking very early
feeling tired and having a lack of sleep or energy
frequent minor health problems such as headaches or stomach-aches
hearing voices telling you what to do, or making you behave strangely

How your education can affect your stress levels

There are many situations that can make you feel stressed for longer and this can often be related to your education. You may be finding:

your school work is piling up or you’re having difficulties with your coursework
you are having problems with your teacher
preparing for exams is stressing you out
that your education is being affected because you are being isolated or bullied

Stress in the workplace

Once your compulsory education stops or you decide to move into the workplace, you can often feel stressed out in the workplace. You may be finding:

that the culture is difficult for you to adapt to
that the work load is too much
that your colleagues or superiors bully you

How your relationships can affect your stress levels

Stress can build up because of the relationships that you have with the people around you. It might be that:

your parents are splitting up
you’re breaking up with your partner
you’re having problems with your family
someone close to you is seriously ill
someone is bullying or abusing you
you’re having difficulties understanding your sexuality
you're a young carer

Getting help

Sometimes stress gets on top of you. When the situation causing stress goes on and on, and the problems just keep building up you can feel trapped. It feels as if there's no way out and no solution to your problems. If you feel like this, it is important to get help. Call into your nearest Connexions Centre/One Stop Shop and speak confidentially to a Connexions Personal Adviser.

Help Lines

Connexions Direct - 080 800 13 2 19

Useful websites

NHS Health - Stress
Information on illnesses, symptoms and healthy living

BBC Health - Stress
Further information about dealing with stress

Online tools

Remove your Worries
The Citizens Advice Bureau has launched a game aimed at young people to help you deal with your worries.

Could you be depressed?
Depression self-assessment.

Are you stressed at work?
Find out if your job is causing you stress.

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