Feeling Overwhelmed at Work? How to Bring Your Stress Back Down
By this point in the year, a lot of people I speak to are running on fumes. The long summer evenings are gone, the to-do list has grown, there are targets to hit before Christmas, and somewhere along the way the weekends stopped feeling like a proper rest. If you're lying awake on a Sunday night going over Monday's meetings, you're far from alone.
I've worked with people for 37 years, first as a mental health nurse and social worker, and now as a solution-focused hypnotherapist and psychotherapist here in Belfast. Work stress is one of the most common reasons people get in touch with me, so I want to share what I've learned about why it builds up and what genuinely helps.
Stress isn't a weakness
Let's get one thing out of the way first. Feeling stressed at work doesn't mean you're not good at your job, or that you can't cope. Stress is simply what happens when the demands on us feel bigger than the resources we have to meet them. It's a normal human response, and in short bursts it can even help us focus.
The trouble starts when the pressure never really switches off. When that happens, the stress doesn't just stay at work. It comes home with you, follows you into bed and is waiting for you again in the morning.
The stress bucket
I often explain this using the idea of a "stress bucket". Every worry, frustration and unfinished task goes into the bucket, whether it's a difficult email, a long commute on the Sydenham bypass, a row at home or a niggling money concern. Most of us carry a bit in the bucket all the time, and that's fine.
Normally, a good night's sleep helps to empty it. During the dreaming stage of sleep, the brain does a lot of the work of processing the day and taking the emotional sting out of things. But when the bucket gets too full, sleep often suffers too. We wake early, or lie awake, and the bucket doesn't get emptied. So the next day starts with it already half full, and it takes very little to make it overflow.
When it overflows, we tend to notice it as irritability, worry, trouble concentrating, tiredness, or feeling close to tears over small things. That's not a character flaw. It's a sign the bucket needs emptying.
Why your brain makes it feel worse
When we're under prolonged stress, the more primitive, alarm-driven part of the brain tends to take charge. It's very good at spotting threats, but it isn't great at problem-solving. It sees things in black and white, expects the worst, and likes to go over the same worries again and again.
The more thoughtful, intellectual part of the brain is the bit that helps us plan, prioritise and see things in proportion. The aim of a lot of what I do is to help people get back into that calmer, clearer part of the mind, where problems feel more manageable.
Simple things that help
There's no magic switch, but these small, well-supported habits can make a real difference.
Notice what's going well. It sounds simple, but the brain's alarm system responds to how we think. Taking a minute at the end of each day to note three things that went well, however small, gently shifts your attention towards what's working rather than what's wrong.
Move your body. Regular physical activity is one of the best-established ways of reducing stress and lifting mood. A brisk walk at lunchtime, along the Lagan towpath or round Ormeau Park, counts.
Draw a line under the working day. If you work from home, try to have a clear "finishing" ritual, such as closing the laptop, putting it out of sight and changing your clothes. If you commute, use the journey home to wind down rather than to clear emails.
Protect your sleep. Keep a regular wake-up time, cut down on screens and caffeine in the evening, and give yourself a chance to unwind before bed. Better sleep helps the bucket empty.
Talk to someone. A colleague, a friend, your manager, or a professional. Saying things out loud often takes some of their weight away.
Break the big things down. When everything feels urgent, choose one small step you can take today. Progress, however small, helps you feel more in control.
How solution-focused hypnotherapy can help
In my sessions, we don't spend our time going over everything that's wrong. Instead, we focus on where you'd like to be: what would be different if work felt more manageable, and what small signs would tell you that things were getting better. People are often surprised by how much they already know about what helps them.
Each session also includes a period of hypnosis. This is simply a relaxed, focused state, a bit like the feeling just before you drift off to sleep. You stay aware and in control the whole time. Many people tell me it's the most relaxed they've felt in weeks, and it can help with emptying that stress bucket and improving sleep.
Hypnotherapy isn't a quick fix or a cure-all, and everyone's experience is different. But for many people it's a calm, practical way of getting back to feeling more like themselves.
A first step
If work stress has been building and you'd like to feel more in control, I'd be glad to have a chat. I offer a free consultation, either at my practice at 2C Mount Merrion Avenue in Belfast or by phone, where we can talk about what's going on and whether hypnotherapy might suit you. There's no pressure and no obligation.
You can book your free consultation through the contact form on my website, or simply send me a question. I'd love to hear from you.
Andrew Jamison, Binary Hypnotics, Belfast
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