Everyone can relate to a time that they felt some form of work/ academic-related pressure or tension that causes mental stress. These are the two biggest stressors that we normally face due to not being able to meet certain requirements, limited resources, peer relations, and can be exacerbated by neurodivergence/ learning disabilities.

Think of a time when you were in education or at work, and then the holidays came. Did the time off make you feel relieved? Did your anger, irritability, and panic suddenly go? Were you able to sleep better? If you are thinking yes, chances are you were experiencing elevated work or academic stress.

Small-scale stress can be motivating, driving an individual’s performance. However, once the amount of stress being dealt with escalates, this hinders functioning and often increases mental health difficulties. If an individual is finding it difficult to manage their stress, psychological therapies using practical and relational approaches are recommended. This includes solution-focused CBT, coaching, mindfulness and DIT . These stimulate relief through speaking and expressing what is on the mind and unloading your thoughts in a non-judgemental empathetic environment. At the same time, through understanding your stressors, your therapist can encourage new and useful ways of perceiving stressful events whilst helping you learn healthy coping mechanisms to deal with your stress and improve relational and/or communicational difficulties contributing to your stress.