Stress is the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. It's very common, can be motivating to help us achieve things in our daily life, and can help us meet the demands of home, work and family life.

But too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our relationships – especially when it feels out of our control. It can make us feel anxious and irritable, and affect our self-esteem.

Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period of time can also lead to a feeling of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, often called burnout.

The tips on this page should help, but if you have been experiencing stress for some time and it's affecting your daily life or causing you distress, you should consider seeking further support.

Signs of stress or burnout

If you are stressed, you may:

• feel overwhelmed
• have racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating
• be irritable
• feel constantly worried, anxious or scared
• feel a lack of self-confidence
• have trouble sleeping or feel tired all the time
• avoid things or people you are having problems with
• be eating more or less than usual
• drink or smoke more than usual

Top tips to deal with stress and burnout

Split up big tasks

If a task seems overwhelming and difficult to start, try breaking it down into easier chunks, and give yourself credit for completing them.

Allow yourself some positivity

Take time to think about the good things in your life. Each day, consider what went well and try to list 3 things you're thankful for.

Challenge your thoughts

The way we think affects the way we feel. Watch our video to learn how to challenge unhelpful thoughts. Video: Reframing unhelpful thoughts.

Be more active

Being active can help you to burn off nervous energy. It will not make your stress disappear, but it can make it less intense. Better Health: Home workout videos.

Talk to someone

Trusted friends, family and colleagues, or contacting a helpline, can help us when we are struggling. Watch our video for more ideas. Video: Social connection.

Plan ahead

Planning out any upcoming stressful days or events – a to-do list, the journey you need to do, things you need to take – can really help.