Stress doesn’t just make you feel bad – it can also be bad for your health. The good news is there are measures you can take to deal with it.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging those experiencing stress to participate in stress control classes which it is funding and are being delivered by Health and Social Care Trusts across Northern Ireland.

Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure, and pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope.

Common signs of stress include sleeping problems, sweating, loss of appetite, and difficulty concentrating. You may feel anxious, irritable, low in self-esteem, have racing thoughts, worry constantly or go over things in your head.

You may notice that you lose your temper more easily, drink more or act unreasonably. You may also experience headaches, muscle tension or pain, or dizziness. Stress causes a surge of hormones in your body. These stress hormones are released to enable you to deal with pressures or threats – the so-called 'fight or flight' response.

The free Stress Control programme is held once a week over six weeks and teaches skill and techniques for managing stress.

Topics covered include an overview of what stress is, controlling your body, controlling your thoughts, controlling your actions,  managing panicky feelings, getting a good night’s sleep and planning for the future.

Stress control is a class, not ‘group therapy’ – you do not have to talk about personal difficulties in front of others.

Details of the latest round of Stress Control classes for each Trust area are below:

Belfast Trust

Contact: Patrick Love, [email protected]

Western area

Contact: Roisin Laverty [email protected]

Northern Trust

Contact: Nikita Bujwid, [email protected]

South Eastern area

Contact: Julia O’Grady, [email protected]

Southern area

Contact: Jacqueline McKenna, [email protected]