It’s really common to feel stressed out from time to time – it’s a normal part of life, and can even be beneficial in some situations.

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You might feel stressed for a lot of reasons like homework, school and exams, pressure to do well and make decisions about your future, things going on with your friends and family, or a lack of sleep and feeling you have too much to do.

 

But stress can become a problem when it starts to interfere with your everyday life and relationships, making you unwell. It can also last for a long time, and get worse as other challenges come up in life.

 

Stress affects everyone differently, but common symptoms can include:

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• Feeling overwhelmed, irritable and “wound up”

• Feeling anxious and fearful

• Low self-esteem

• Constant worry

• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

• Feeling like your thoughts are racing

• Changes to eating and sleeping patterns

• Muscle tension, pain and headaches

• Avoiding situations or people you are having problems with

• Snapping at people

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Some people may say stress is just part of life – but it can be really serious and damage your health if it goes on for a long time. The good news is, there’s a huge amount of support available, and lots you can do yourself to reduce your own stress, or better manage it.

 

Polaris Children's Services offer a number of programmes that help people increase their resilience and positive mental wellbeing in order to cope with the challenges life can throw at us all. If you are accessing one of these services you can find out more here. We’ve also got information you might be interested in such as Exams, Mindfulness, Relaxation and Self-Care.​