It's Good To Talk... The Stress-Busting Benefits Of Therapy

Stress is something that everyone will experience at some point in their lives - particularly in the 21st century, when it often feels like it comes at us from all angles. It’s certainly safe to say that there’s a lot going on right now!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when our stress levels start to rise, but it doesn’t have to be that way and there are all sorts of ways you can help improve your stress management skills, adopting various strategies that will serve you well over the years.

Stress Awareness Month is just around the corner, taking place in April each year, so now’s the perfect time to think about your own personal stress levels, asking yourself whether you’ve got it under control or whether you think the pressure is starting to take its toll.

How can stress affect the body?

It’s important to remember that stress isn’t always a bad thing and we wouldn’t have got to where we are right now without it, with cavemen using their fight or flight responses to alert them to danger just around the corner.

When we’re stressed, our body interprets this as being under attack and it floods our system with lots of different hormones and chemicals, including cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine… all of which gets us fully pumped, primed and ready for action, whether that’s fighting the threat in question or running away from it.

The problem these days is that our body can find itself in fight or flight in situations where it’s not much use. Our body goes into fight or flight, which diverts blood away from our muscles, with our brain function minimised and unnecessary bodily functions paused for the time being.

If we find ourselves in this state for a prolonged period of time, it can actually have significant impacts on our health, with common effects of stress including headache, anxiety, muscle tension, restlessness, chest pain, loss of libido, memory problems, fatigue, insomnia, depression, stomach upset, irritability, a reduced immune system… and so on!

Stress can also have an impact on our behaviour and if we’re super stressed at a chronic level, we’re more likely to either under or overeat, we’re more prone to angry outbursts, we’re more likely to turn to drinking or illicit substance use, we’re more likely to smoke and we’re more likely to be antisocial.

So, as you can see, it’s important to do all we can to keep on top of our stress and not let it take control. But how?

How therapy can help you bust that stress

This year’s theme for Stress Awareness Month is #LeadWithLove, rooted in the principles of unconditional positive regard. This encourages us all to approach ourselves, as well as everyone else, with compassion, kindness and acceptance, no matter what challenges come our way.

Now’s the time to dig a little deeper and further your understanding of the root causes of your stress, how it impacts your mental, emotional and physical health, and what you can do about it to ensure you have the skills and resilience in place that will guide you well throughout your life.

One of the very best strategies to employ when it comes to stress management is, undoubtedly, therapy.

Now, there’s often a bit of stigma attached to the idea of speaking to a counsellor but it’s becoming far more commonplace, particularly among younger demographics - so remember that there’s no shame whatsoever in seeking help and support when you need it. In fact, there’s very real strength in admitting that you can’t go it alone.

It can be surprisingly difficult to work out for yourself just what it is that’s causing your stress, but working with a counsellor gives you an opportunity to explore your feelings in a judgement-free space, which is what you need to identify the best ways to overcome it.

Once you know what’s causing the stress, you can work out the most appropriate coping strategies and techniques to help you get a handle on it.

This could include mindfulness meditation or breathing exercises, both of which are brilliant for anchoring you in the present moment, helping to clear your mind and leave you feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready to tackle life in the 21st century, no matter what.

Therapy can also help you identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours, which can help reduce your stress levels.

Negative thoughts that can impact your stress include over-generalisations and catastrophising, both of which are very common, but by actively questioning and challenging these over time, you’ll find that you gain a far more balanced perspective… which is what you want!

Beyond that, therapy can also help you set more realistic goals and boundaries for your life, which can help keep a lid on all that pesky stress.

We’re often guilty of taking on too much, pushing ourselves when we need to rest and sacrificing other areas of our life, but breaking down tasks into more manageable chunks and prioritising self-care will ensure that we continue to perform at our best, without running the risk of burnout.

Mental health student discount

Because we here at TOTUM fully understand just how beneficial therapy can be for anyone and everyone when it comes to stress, we’ve teamed up with BetterHelp, a company that’s been in operation since 2013 and which was set up to remove the traditional barriers to therapy, making mental healthcare accessible to one and all.

In the last 12 years or so, it’s gone on to become the biggest therapy service in the world, with professional, affordable and tailored therapy available online, with more than 30,000 therapists all over the world helping millions of people enjoy better mental health.

With our student discount, you can enjoy 50 per cent off your first month of therapy with credentialed professionals, accessing counselling online anytime, anywhere, via video, phone or chat.

So, this Stress Awareness Month, why not take control of your mental health and see what changes you could make with the help of a professional therapist to really hit your goals in 2025 and beyond.