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Stepping Stones
Stress and Burnout
When pressure stops feeling manageable
Stress is a normal part of life, and in small amounts it can help us focus, respond to challenges and get things done.
The difficulty comes when the pressure continues and there isn't enough opportunity to recover.
You may still be functioning well on the outside — going to work, meeting deadlines, looking after other people and keeping everything going — but underneath, you may feel exhausted, irritable, overwhelmed or unable to switch off.
Sometimes people don't realise how stressed they have become until it begins to affect their sleep, relationships, health or ability to cope with things they would normally manage.
If that sounds familiar, it may be time to take notice of what your mind and body are telling you.
What does stress look like?
Stress doesn't always look like someone who can't cope.
In fact, people who are used to managing a lot of responsibility can become very good at pushing through stress and carrying on.
You might notice:
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constantly thinking about work, even when you're not working
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difficulty switching off or relaxing
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feeling overwhelmed by things you would usually manage
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irritability or becoming less patient with other people
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problems sleeping
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difficulty concentrating or making decisions
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physical tension, headaches or digestive problems
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feeling tired even after resting
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losing motivation or enjoyment
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feeling increasingly anxious
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relying on unhealthy ways of coping
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feeling that you are always rushing from one thing to the next
Over time, prolonged stress can leave you feeling physically and emotionally depleted and may eventually contribute to burnout.
Stress and burnout
Burnout tends to develop gradually.
You may begin by working longer, taking fewer breaks or telling yourself that things will settle down once you get through a particularly busy period.
But if one demanding period simply leads into another, your body and mind have less opportunity to recover.
Eventually, you may find that the strategies that previously helped you cope are no longer enough.
Recognising this early is important. You don't have to wait until you reach the point where you feel unable to continue before making changes.
How I can help
I have a particular interest in stress management and have worked with people experiencing stress, anxiety and trauma for many years.
My approach combines an understanding of what is happening psychologically with practical ways of helping you regulate your body's stress response and identify what needs to change.
We might look at what is creating pressure in your life, the things you can and cannot control, patterns that may be keeping stress going, and how you respond when demands begin to build.
We can also develop practical strategies that you can use both when stress is high and to reduce the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed in the future.
The aim isn't to remove all stress from your life. That isn't realistic.
It is to help you recognise stress earlier, respond to it more effectively and feel that you have more control over how you manage pressure.
Individual support for stress and burnout
Sometimes stress has become difficult to manage alone, or there may be more going on underneath it.
Individual therapy gives us the opportunity to look at your particular circumstances in more depth.
Depending on what you are experiencing, our work may draw on psychotherapeutic counselling, hypnotherapy, CBT-informed approaches, EMDR, mindfulness and practical stress-management techniques.
Sessions are available face-to-face in Finchley, North London, and online.
Prefer to work at your own pace?
Not everyone needs or wants individual therapy.
If you would prefer to develop your understanding of stress and learn practical ways of managing it independently, I have created a self-directed stress-management programme that you can work through in your own time.
The programme is based around my CALM framework:
C – Catch the Stress
Learn to recognise what is happening before stress becomes overwhelming.
A – Activate Regulation
Use practical techniques to help calm your mind and body's stress response.
L – Locate the Cause
Identify what is driving your stress and where you may be able to make changes.
M – Make Change Stick
Develop realistic habits and strategies that support longer-term resilience.
The programme includes four video modules, practical exercises, two guided self-hypnosis audio sessions and a copy of my stress-management book.
It is designed to give you a clear structure to follow without overwhelming you with dozens of techniques.
The Stress Reset
If you prefer to read and work through things in your own time, my book, The Stress Reset, offers a practical guide to understanding stress and building greater resilience.
It explains what happens in the mind and body when we are under pressure, helps you identify your own sources and patterns of stress, and introduces practical techniques you can use both in the moment and over the longer term.
The book also introduces the CALM framework, giving you a simple structure for recognising stress, regulating your response, identifying what is causing it and making changes that last.
Find more information here about The Stress Reset
Stress Management for Organisations
Practical sessions for teams and workplaces
Stress isn't only an individual issue. The environment we work in, the demands placed upon us and the opportunities we have to recover can all affect our ability to manage pressure.
I offer interactive stress-management sessions for organisations that want to give their employees practical, evidence-informed ways of managing pressure and supporting their wellbeing.
Sessions can be tailored to the needs of the organisation and may include understanding the stress response, recognising early signs of stress, practical techniques for managing stress in the moment, identifying what is within our control, and developing healthier ways of responding to pressure.
My aim is for people to leave with more than an understanding of stress. I want them to have practical tools they can realistically use in their working lives.
Recent workplace session
I recently delivered a Stress Management Lunch & Learn session for a group of employees.
100%
Rated the session
Excellent or Very Good
90%
Were very likely to put at least
one of the ideas into practice
Feedback from 10 participants at a Zara Lunch & Learn session
When asked about their most useful takeaways, participants highlighted the practical stress-management techniques, understanding the science behind the stress response, and learning ways to regulate the body's response to stress.
What participants found useful:
“Knowing the path to follow and analyse situations.”
“Physical techniques to trick my body and release stress.”
“The actions for managing stress in the moment and science behind it.”
And when asked how the session could be improved, one participant simply said:
“We wish we had you for a longer session.”
Stress management sessions for your organisation
Sessions can be adapted to suit your organisation, from shorter Lunch'n'Learn sessions to more in-depth workshops.
My professional background as a psychotherapeutic counsellor, stress-management specialist and experienced trainer allows me to combine psychological understanding with practical strategies that people can use both during the working day and beyond it.
Finding the right support for you
There is no single right way to manage stress.
You may feel that you need some individual support to understand what is happening and make changes. You may prefer to work independently through the programme or book. Or you may be looking for support for a team or organisation.
Whichever route feels most appropriate, the starting point is the same: recognising when stress is taking too much from you and deciding that something needs to change.