Counselling for Stress
When You’re Under Pressure and Unable to Switch Off
Stress can build over time when the demands of life start to outweigh the time and space you have to recover. You may feel like you’re constantly “on”, struggling to switch off, or carrying a sense that you need to keep going even when you’re exhausted. Understanding what is contributing to your stress can be an important first step towards making things more manageable.
What Is Stress?
Stress is your body’s natural response to pressure or situations that feel challenging or demanding. In small amounts, it can help you stay focused, motivated, or respond quickly when needed. But when stress continues for too long or becomes difficult to manage, it can begin to affect your mood, physical health, relationships, and ability to cope with everyday life.
Stressed, Anxious, Or Overwhelmed?
Stress, anxiety, and overwhelm can sometimes overlap. While these experiences are connected, they can feel different for each person. Stress is often linked to feeling under pressure, anxiety can involve worry or fear about what might happen, and overwhelm can leave you feeling like there is too much to process or manage at once.
Why Do I Feel So Stressed?
Stress is something we all experience, and modern life can leave many of us juggling multiple demands at once. Many people are balancing work, home life, relationships, and caring responsibilities while trying to keep everything running smoothly. It’s not surprising that stress can begin to build when there’s little time to rest and recover.
What Causes Stress?
The causes of stress are different for everyone. It can be triggered by a significant life event, but often it develops gradually as everyday pressures build up over time.
Stress can also be a response to circumstances that are difficult or outside your control. Financial insecurity, discrimination, relationship difficulties, caring responsibilities, or living in an unsafe or unstable environment can all have an impact on your wellbeing.
How Stress Can Affect You
Stress can affect your thoughts, emotions, physical health, and the way you behave. You may notice changes such as feeling more tired than usual, struggling to switch off, feeling tense, becoming more irritable, or finding it harder to concentrate.
Everyone experiences stress differently and recognising how it shows up for you can be an important first step in understanding what support you might need.
How Counselling Can Help with Stress
When you’re under constant pressure, it’s easy to focus on getting through the day without having the space to ask yourself how you’re really feeling. Counselling offers a place where you can be honest about what you’re experiencing, feel understood, and be accepted without judgement. It gives you the opportunity to pause, understand what is contributing to your stress, and explore what might help you move forward.
Understanding What Is Contributing to Your Stress
Together, we can explore what may be contributing to your stress, whether that’s ongoing pressures, difficult experiences, circumstances outside your control, or expectations you place on yourself. By understanding what is behind your stress, you can begin to recognise what you may be able to change, what you may need support with, and what you may want to approach differently.
Develop Ways to Cope
Counselling can help you understand what triggers your stress, recognise your usual responses, and explore what might help – whether that means developing practical ways to cope, setting healthier boundaries, or considering changes where those are possible. Think of it as building your own toolkit of approaches that you can draw on when pressure starts to build.
CBT for Stress
My approach draws on different counselling approaches, including CBT. When we’re stressed, our thoughts can become more urgent, self-critical, or focused on needing to keep going. CBT can help you recognise these patterns and explore how your thoughts may be influencing your stress levels. Together, we can work towards developing ways of thinking and responding that feel more helpful and supportive.
Online Counselling for Stress: Support That Fits Around You
When life already feels demanding, finding support shouldn’t add to the pressure.
If stress has you constantly rushing from one thing to the next, finding time for yourself can feel like one more thing to manage. Online counselling offers a flexible way to access support that works around your schedule.
About My Approach to Counselling for Stress
If you feel like you’re constantly running on empty, struggling to switch off, or managing the expectations and responsibilities that come with everyday life, counselling can give you the opportunity to step back and understand what’s happening. My approach is collaborative and tailored to you – giving you the opportunity to explore your experiences, recognise patterns, and develop ways of coping that feel realistic for your life.
I’ve been supporting adults experiencing stress, anxiety and overwhelm since 2011. As a BACP Accredited Counsellor, I offer online counselling across the UK, helping you understand what is contributing to your stress and make changes that support your wellbeing.
Common Questions About Counselling for Stress
What Is the Difference Between Stress and Burnout?
Stress is often linked to feeling under pressure, with your mind and body responding to ongoing demands or challenges. Burnout can develop when stress continues over a longer period without enough rest, recovery, or support. It can leave you feeling emotionally and physically exhausted, disconnected, or like you’re struggling to keep going.
You don’t need to wait until you feel completely burnt out before seeking support. Counselling can help you understand what is contributing to your stress and explore ways to create more balance before things reach that point.
Can Counselling Help with Work-Related Stress?
Yes. Work-related stress can come from many different sources, including workload, responsibility, expectations, difficult relationships, or struggling to switch off outside of work. Counselling can help you explore what is contributing to your stress, understand your responses, and find ways to manage pressure more effectively.
Can Stress Cause Anxiety?
Yes. Stress and anxiety often overlap. When stress continues for a long time, it can leave you feeling constantly on edge, unable to switch off, or caught up in worry. Counselling can help you understand the connection between your stress and anxiety, and explore ways to feel more balanced and in control.
If stress is beginning to affect your wellbeing, relationships, or enjoyment of everyday life, counselling could offer a space to explore what you’re experiencing. A free introductory call gives us the opportunity to talk about what’s happening and whether counselling feels like the right next step for you.
Sources:
NHS Every Mind Matters: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/#what-is-stress