We have partnered with Reach Out to bring you the best factsheet information we can on this topic. Reach Out offers information, support and resources to help young people improve their understanding of mental health issues, develop resilience, and increase their coping skills and help-seeking behaviour.

What is stress?

Stress is a feeling that's created when you react to certain events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. Stress becomes a problem when you become over-stressed and it starts to affect how you cope with day to day stuff.

How does stress affect the body?

The human body responds to events that provoke stress (stressors) by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. The physical changes prepare you to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment.

This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Working properly, the body's stress response improves your ability to perform well under pressure.

What causes you to over-stress?

Stress affects everybody in a different way. What causes one person to become over-stressed may not have the same affect on someone else.
Many things may cause people to become over-stressed, including:

• exams
• problems at school or work
• sexual, physical or emotional abuse
• relationships
• new responsibilities
• moving to a new place
• a traumatic event - such as the death of a loved one
• new or chronic illness or disability
• peer pressure, being bullied
• unrealistic expectations placed on you by yourself, friend, family or culture

What can happen if you're over-stressed?

If you become over-stressed it may have unwanted consequences for your health - both physical and psychological. Some of these may include:

Psychological + emotional

• feeling hostile, angry, or irritable
• feeling anxious
• avoiding other people
• crying
• moodiness, feeling frustrated with things that normally don't bother you
• low self-esteem or lack of confidence
• anxiety attacks
• depression or sadness

Physical

• upset stomach, diarrhoea, or indigestion
• headache
• backache
• inability to sleep
• eating too much or too little
• raised heart-rate
• smoking

If you are experiencing any of these problems you may want to talk to your local doctor, youth worker or school counsellor - click these links to visit Reach Out's factsheets on these.

Stress + relationships

Maintaining relationships with friends, family, people we work with or boyfriends/girlfriends may be difficult at times and may cause you to become over-stressed. This is might be because you have different values or expectations from each other. To help manage the stress, it may be helpful to talk to someone about what is upsetting you. Talking to someone you trust may help you to work out why you are stressed out by the relationship and what you can do about it.

Tips for Managing Stress

It may not be possible to remove the stress from your life, however managing your stress may help you to get things done. Below are some ideas for managing stress:

Go for a walk or run

Exercising can be a good way of relieving stress. It helps to get rid of all that pent up energy and can leave you feeling much calmer. Any sort of exercise can be good. You may want to go and kick a footy with friends or head to the gym.

Hang out with friends

If you are feeling stressed you may need to take your mind off things for a while. Hanging out with friends is one way of doing that. It may be that similar things that stress you out, also stress your friends out, and so talking about your problems with them may be helpful.

Taking some deep breaths

Deep breathing can help to relax the body and hence calm you down. Taking deep breaths before an exam, game, job interview or before going on stage may help to calm you down and focus on what it is you are about to do.

Setting realistic goals

Becoming over-stressed may make it harder to keep things in perspective. Setting realistic goals (both for the short-term and long-term) and priorities and time management may be useful ways of managing your stress. You may want to check out our section on Exam time: stress management tips, or the Reach Out factsheets on Time management and Setting goals for more information.

Have multiple options to achieve your goals

There is never just one way to achieve something. It's important not to put all your eggs into one basket - investigate and plan other ways to get to where you want to go, whether it's a uni degree, job, or holiday vacation.

Try to avoid smoking, alcohol + caffeine

It may be tempting to use smoking and alcohol as a means of managing your stress. Try to avoid using these things as a way of coping, as in the long run they may make you more stressed out.

Watch what you're thinking

Your outlook, attitude, and thoughts influence the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best out of stressful circumstances. Even if you're out of practice, or tend to be a bit of a pessimist, everyone can learn to think more optimistically and reap the benefits.

Speaking to someone

If you are finding you are always stressed and it is hard to carry on with day to day stuff, it may be helpful to talk to someone about it. Parents, teachers, a school counsellor or youth worker are people that may be able to help you cope. Check out Reach Out's Who can help you section for more info.