Getting good sleep is essential for our bodies to recover, heal, and maintain overall wellbeing. However, stress can significantly disrupt sleep, whether through racing thoughts at night or waking up early with worries on your mind. Poor sleep can, in turn, exacerbate stress, creating a challenging cycle.

Fortunately, self-help techniques can help restore an improved sleep pattern. (However, persistent sleep problems might indicate underlying health and/or mental health issues, so it’s important to consult your GP if difficulties continue)

Relaxation and mindfulness strategies are often effective in improving sleep quality. Additionally, you can explore practical guides on achieving better sleep, including  sleep hygiene, tips for adults , those over 50 and menopause.

As the stress response is largely physical, our body is one of the first things to be affected. Controlled breathing, deep muscle relaxation, mindful breathing and relaxing activities can all help in reducing tension and switching off some of the physical signs of stress.

You can explore some relaxation exercises here

The University Counselling and Mental Health Service also offers mindfulness and breathwork sessions, providing a chance to incorporate relaxation into your weekly routine. And you can access downloadable podcasts to help you relax and feel better from the Counselling and Mental Health wepbpages

Regular exercise is a great way to support both your physical and mental well-being. It can be a calming activity, helping to ease stress and release physical tension. While exercise won’t make stress disappear, it can reduce the emotional intensity you’re experiencing, helping you think more clearly and approach challenges with a calmer mindset.

Exercise also helps by lowering levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol while boosting your body’s natural feel-good chemicals, such as serotonin and endorphins.

Learn more about the link between physical activity and mental health here
Visit Active Manchester to explore a wide variety of fitness, yoga, and Pilates classes available on campus or remotely.

Eating well is an important part of managing stress, but it can be challenging when stress takes over. Research shows that during stressful times, some people tend to overeat comfort foods high in fat and sugar, while others may lose their appetite altogether.

To support your well-being, try to eat regular, balanced meals and include healthy snacks when needed. This can help stabilise your energy levels and mood, reducing tiredness, irritability, and other physical signs of stress.

Learn more about the connection between diet and mental health here or explore the BBC Food top diet tips for managing stress

Consider your caffeine intake (please note caffeine affects individuals differently and you may wish to look into this further based on your individual circumstances)

Caffeine is a stimulant which can be found in items such as coffee, tea, fizzy drinks and energy drinks. Taken in small quantities it can improve concentration and make you feel more alert for longer. Too much caffeine, however, can produce similar sensations to those of anxiety including faster breathing, headaches, increased heart rate and irritability.

Caffeine can interact with cortisol: Caffeine increases the secretion of cortisol, which can alter circadian rhythms and interact with stress reactions. 

Caffeine can be a coping strategy: when we are feeling tired and/or dealing with a stressful situation, we can reach for extra caffeine

If you think reducing you caffeine intake, you can find further advice here.

The use of alcohol and drugs may increase when experiencing stress as it can be used as a tool to help relaxation or ‘switching off’. However this only offers ‘temporary relief’ and can have serious long term affects on both your physical and mental health. You can find out more about alcohol and stress here. Resources to support alcohol and drug addiction can be found here.

Many personal issues and experiences can cause stress, and they often vary depending on life circumstances, personality, and coping mechanisms. A personal stressor could be:

• Life transitions: bereavement, relocating, and other life events such as marriage, having children and retiring.
• Family and relationship issues: Conflicts, relationship breakdowns, parenting and experiencing loneliness.
• Health: chronic illness, injury, disability and mental health struggles.
• Fertility issues, adoption/fostering processes and returning to work after family leave
• Personal identity issues and body image concerns
• Financial worries: debt, facing homelessness and unemployment
• Being a victim of a crime, experiencing discrimination, domestic violence or abuse.
• Being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world can lead to challenges that may increase the risk of stress, anxiety or depression.

Further information and support details for personal difficulties can be found on the Resources Staffnet pages.