Work Stress & Self Care

You may find yourself thinking about work late at night, checking emails when you are meant to be resting, or feeling that there is something else you should be doing. Sometimes stress builds gradually. We can become used to being busy and tell ourselves that things will settle down after the next deadline, project or difficult period. But the next thing arrives, and we keep going.

For some people, being busy can also become a way of feeling secure or in control. Slowing down may feel uncomfortable, even when we know we need to. Stress can show up in the body before we consciously recognise that we are struggling: disrupted sleep, headaches, muscle tension, changes in appetite, or simply feeling exhausted.

Work-related stress is not always about having too much work. It can come from uncertainty, difficult relationships, unrealistic expectations or trying to meet competing demands. Sometimes it is the emotional weight of a role that becomes exhausting rather than the volume. When we are stressed, our instinct can be to work harder. But sometimes what is needed is a pause.

This might be something very simple: stepping away from your desk, going outside, having lunch away from your screen, or allowing yourself an evening off. Rest is not something we need to earn by completing everything first. Therapy can offer a space to step outside the constant demands of work and think about what is happening. It can be a place to explore the relationship you have with achievement, responsibility, boundaries and control and to consider what a more sustainable way of working and living might look like.

Related terms

Burnout – experiencing emotional, mental and physical exhaustion after prolonged periods of stress, pressure or overwork.

Imposter feelings – doubting your abilities or achievements.

Work-life imbalance – struggling to maintain boundaries between professional responsibilities and personal relationships, rest and other aspects of life.

People pleasing – finding it difficult to say no, set boundaries or express your own needs for fear of disappointing others.

Responsibility and guilt – feeling overly responsible for colleagues, or work, and guilty when you cannot meet every expectation.

Anxiety – feeling persistently worried, apprehensive or fearful about work, performance, relationships or the future.

Pressure – feeling under constant demand to achieve, deliver or meet the expectations of others.

Perfectionism – setting excessively high standards for yourself, or feeling that nothing you do is quite good enough.