Stress and how to handle it Our vision: a society where all people flourish



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Stress  

and how to handle it



Our vision: a society where all people flourish.

www.mentalhealth.org.nz



Resources

The Mental Health Foundation has a comprehensive 

range of information on mental health and wellbeing 

including pamphlets, books and videos for purchase  

or loan, and our Relax for Health CD is available at a 

cost of $15. 

The CD is designed to help you relax deeply and leave 

you feeling refreshed and more energetic. It uses two 

relaxation methods that have been shown by research 

to be beneficial to physical and mental health.

For more information on creating mentally healthy 

workplaces visit our Working Well website 

  

www.workingwell.co.nz 



Contact us

Resource & Information Service  

Phone:


 09 623 4812 

Email: resource@mentalhealth.org.nz



Mental Health Foundation 

PO Box 10051, Dominion Road, Auckland 1446 

Units 109-110, Zone 23, 23 Edwin St, Mt Eden, Auckland

Phone: 


09 623 4810  

Fax: 


09 623 4811

www.mentalhealth.org.nz

www.facebook.com/mentalhealthfoundationNZ

www.twitter.com/mentalhealthnz

www.youtube.com/mhfnz

Help us to help others

The Mental Health Foundation is a charity and we rely on 

donations to support our work. Please consider giving us a 

donation so that we can continue to help others. 

Options for donating can be found on our website –  

www.mentalhealth.org.nz 

Mental Health Foundation 2013

drinks. These are usually foods we crave when we 

are stressed so try to avoid them.

•   


Make time to exercise. Make some time (three 

times a week minimum) for exercise such as 

walking, swimming or anything you enjoy doing.

•   


Create a harmonious work environment. 

Organise your workspace; have some flowers in 

your office; check your light source.

•   


Organise your work habits. Get up 5 or 10 

minutes earlier so you don’t have to rush; set aside 

time for processing email; break large projects 

down into small steps. Spend 5 to 10 minutes at 

the end of the day preparing for the next day.

•   


Take time out. Some people find it hard to take 

time out for a holiday or a weekend. Give yourself 

a breather every now and then. This can even be 

just a short break during the day at work or home. 

Do something you really enjoy.

•   


Solve problems. Try to find a quick solution to 

conflict; learn to be more assertive and learn to say 

NO. Compromise or find ways to deal with your 

frustration and anger.

•   

Feel better about yourself. Identify what you 

do well, and recognise and acknowledge your 

qualities and characteristics. Practice positive self-

talk.


•   

Practice relaxation. Try yoga, meditation or have 

a massage.

•   

Listen to music. Relaxation is extremely important; 

learn what works for you and practice it regularly.

•   

Get sufficient sleep. To help you sleep, take 

a walk in the evening or meditate or practice 

relaxation. Avoid taking sleeping tablets as they 

will disrupt your sleeping pattern even more.

•   

Put fun and laughter in your life. This has been 

proven to be good for our health and it feels good!

Working Well is part of the Mental 

Health Foundation of New Zealand.

If you are experiencing high and persistent levels of 

stress and would like further information or support, 

talk to your doctor or health professional. You can also 

phone your local mental health service (numbers are in 

the front of the phone book under ‘Hospitals and Other 

Health Service Providers’)

www.workingwell.co.nz



Other stressors that may arise from the workplace include:

•  Overload – too much work, too little time. 

•  Relationships – conflict with colleagues or boss.

•   Conflicts between work roles, job demands, and juggling 

the balance between work and home life.

•  Long hours, shift work, being unclear about work roles.

•   Complicated tasks, poor training, feeling isolated or 

undervalued.

•   Changes in role or organisation (e.g. restructuring); lack 

of communication between managers and workers, or 

between departments.

•  Bullying or harassment.

•   Not being able to talk openly about stress, health or 

mental health problems.

•   Physical environment – noise, dirt, dangers, lack of air, 

poor equipment, messy workspace.



What is stress?

‘Stress’ describes our physical and emotional response to 

a demand or ‘stressor’ in our environment. Many things 

that stress us are real, but we can also ‘turn on’ the stress 

response with negative thoughts, beliefs or attitudes. 

Sometimes we respond to stressful situations by creating 

even more stress in our bodies by overeating, smoking, 

drinking too much alcohol or coffee and not exercising.

Not all stress is bad. Stress is a natural occurrence in 

life and everyday stress is necessary for growth and 

development. The human nervous system is designed to 

cope with a degree of stimulation. Most people enjoy being 

stimulated or challenged. If we can unwind and recover 

afterwards there are no harmful effects. The danger lies in 

too much stress or prolonged stress. 

At first we may become tired and irritable but if the 

stress continues and is not dealt with effectively the 

result can be physical and mental ill-health. Our stress 

response may be activated by extreme danger or intense 

pleasure. More usually, we encounter numerous potentially 

stressful experiences in our everyday lives such as work, 

relationships, losses, lack of time, boredom, money worries 

and many more. 

Stress levels are individual – what one person may 

experience as energising another may find stressful. Taking 

action on stress may involve managing the stress response 

and/or dealing with the stressor. Remember that your 

capacity to cope with stress changes at different times and 

stages of your life. 

How can work contribute to stress?

One of the major causes of stress in the workplace is feeling 

that things are beyond our control. Advances in technology 

bring many advantages, but they are also a major 

contributor to daily stress. People may also find travelling 

to and from work very stressful. 



“It’s not the stress that kills us; it is our 

reaction to it.”

Hans Selye, pioneer stress researcher

What are some of the warning signs of 

stress?

•   Losing your zest for life; losing interest in family

friends or work.

•  Changes in your sleeping patterns.

•  Nervous ‘twitches’ or muscle spasms.

•  Indigestion, stomach upsets.

•   Pains in lower back, chest, shoulders, joints or other 

parts of the body.

•  Skin itches or rashes for no apparent reason.

•  Frequent colds or flu.

•  Shortness of breath or shallow breathing.

•  Memory or concentration problems.

•  Feeling anxious and tense for no obvious reason.

•  Finding it hard to make decisions.

•  Tearfulness for no apparent reason.

•  Feeling impatient or irritable.

•  Losing confidence.

Please note that any persistent symptoms should be 

checked by a GP. 

What can I do about stress?

One way to reduce stress is to change the stressor 

(cause). The most drastic way is to change your 

environment - where you live, where you work. Of 

course, this is not often possible. Instead, you can think 

of changes to those parts of your environment which are 

causing the most stress. 

Another way is to cope differently with stress. Here are 

some ways to help you reduce and prevent too much 

stress and tension. But you have to practice! 

•   

Talk your worries over. Talk with a friend, your 

partner, parents, counsellor or clergy or someone else 

you trust.

•   


Limit your expectations. Be selective and use your 

energy to do the most important and possible tasks. Set 

goals you can reach. Do not blame yourself if you don’t 

reach all your goals – these may be possible next time. 

•   

Eat well. Eat a variety of fresh foods in a well balanced 

diet. Some foods actually cause or increase nervous 



tension, for example, coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft 

Make some time for exercise such 

as walking, swimming, team sports 

or anything else you enjoy doing.

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