***This content comes from the Joint Pain Programme Journal by Nuffield Health. As a Rehab Specialist running this program, I’m excited to share these helpful insights with you all.

Stress management skills can help manage your stress response if you find yourself getting overwhelmed and can minimize the risk of becoming overloaded.

Too often, people use unhealthy ways to deal with stress. Some people smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, take drugs, or eat unhealthy food to help them cope.

While it can feel as if these are helpful, they only feel helpful in the short term. In the long term, these can increase mental and physical stress and lead to unhelpful cycles.

There are many ways that you can manage stress in a healthy way and take control of your health.

Breathing Techniques

When we become stressed, our breathing changes as part of the fight or flight response.

Breathing techniques are very powerful for the management of stress as they balance the chemical and hormonal reaction that happens in our bodies during the stress response.

Deep Breathing

Shallow and rapid breathing are natural responses to stress. With shallow breathing, less oxygen is taken into the body.

Learning how to breathe more deeply can reverse this effect and relieve many symptoms of stress, such as tension, headaches, or sleeplessness.

Deep breathing can be used on its own or as a preparation for other stress management or relaxation techniques.

Try the Deep (diaphragmatic) Breathing class with Sophie, which you can find on NH 24/7.

Rhythmic Breathing

Rhythmic breathing promotes relaxation, helping to lower blood pressure and cortisol levels. It also helps you manage difficult emotions such as stress and anxiety.

Try the Rhythmic Breathing class with Sophie, which you can find in NH 24/7.

Muscle Relaxation

When we are stressed, we build up a great deal of tension in the body. This technique involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in your body.

This will help you realize when you’re becoming more tense and help you notice what it feels like to be relaxed. Try the Muscle Relaxation class with Sophie, which you can find on NH 24/7.

Grounding

Grounding techniques can help you turn your attention away from difficult or overwhelming thoughts, memories, or worries, and refocus on the present moment.

By using the senses and purposefully taking in the details of your surroundings, you can gain a sense of control over mind and body.

Grounding techniques can be used to regulate difficult or overwhelming emotions or body sensations during moments of stress or anxiety.

Try the Grounding class with Grace, which you can find on NH 24/7.

Visualization

Visualization involves creating relaxing or soothing scenes in your mind. These techniques can be very effective because your body reacts to imagined scenarios in the same way it does to real scenarios.

These techniques can help you manage stress and work very well when used in conjunction with breathing exercises.

Try the Calm Space and Light Stream class with Sophie, which you can find on NH 24/7.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you to become more aware of your inner and outer world so that you can better manage your responses to life’s challenges, regulate your emotions, and experience life more fully.

Take a look at NH 24/7 for the following Mindfulness sessions:

• Introduction to Mindfulness

• Integrating Mindfulness

• Pet Mindfulness

Anger Management

It is very common to experience feelings of anger when you are experiencing health issues, dealing with an unexpected diagnosis, or recovering from an illness.

Everybody gets angry, and it is a perfectly natural response to some situations.

Learning how to manage and respond in situations that cause you to become angry can have a positive impact on your health.

Problem Solving and Memory Focus

It is very common to feel overwhelmed when you are experiencing health difficulties. If you are feeling low, anxious, or overwhelmed, you may also start to believe that you are unable to solve your problems, or that problem solving is too difficult or complicated.

Worry Management

For more information on managing worry, please see Worry

So that you can better manage your responses, please refer to further support available at Nuffield Health Joint Pain Programme Hub.

Keep a Record

Keep a record of the different techniques you have tried and how they have helped.

• Which technique did I use?

• How long did I practice for?

• How will I build stress management into my daily routine? (e.g., set reminders)

• Perhaps practice with a friend or family member.

Your Space to Reflect

📍 Starting Point

- Which stress management techniques have you tried?

- How do different relaxation methods affect your body and mind?

🤔 Looking Deeper

- When do specific techniques work best for you?

- How has practicing these skills changed your stress response?

💡 Exploring Possibilities

- Which new techniques would you like to explore?

- What daily practices could you incorporate into your routine?

🔄 New Perspectives

- How might regular practice of these techniques change your wellbeing?

- What would making stress management a daily priority look like?