Stress comes in many forms in life, and can be a more chronic or clinical issue in lots of situations, but school and work tend to be the most common environments in life where many people struggle more severely. School and work stress can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic status. However, some types of people that may be more vulnerable to these forms of stress than others are:

1. Students: Students of all ages can experience stress related to schoolwork, exams, and academic performance. This can be especially true for high school or college students who are under pressure to achieve high grades to meet future educational or career goals.
2. High-achievers: People who are high-achievers or perfectionists may struggle with school or work stress, as they often set high expectations for themselves and feel a sense of failure when they do not meet them.
3. Those in high-pressure careers: People in high-pressure careers, such as healthcare professionals, lawyers, or executives, may experience significant work-related stress due to demanding workloads, long hours, and high-stakes decision-making.
4. Those with low job control: People who have little control over their work environment, such as those in entry-level positions or who work in highly structured environments, may experience work-related stress due to a lack of autonomy.
5. Those with pre-existing mental health conditions: People who have pre-existing mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression may be more vulnerable to stress related to school or work, as stress can exacerbate their symptoms.
6. Those with poor work-life balance: People who struggle to balance work and personal responsibilities may experience stress related to feeling overworked or not having enough time for self-care or leisure activities.

You may identify with one of these groups, or with struggling with stress on a daily basis. If so, individual therapy can provide you with the opportunity to process and unpack the stressors in your life, identify the major sources of stress, and develop tools and strategies in sessions for balancing how you manage your stress with what you can do to adjust the stressor environment.

Struggling with stress can negatively impact how you cope with other emotional concerns, such as depression, anxiety, anger management, or relationship issues. Allowing yourself a safe and confidential space to process these stressors and the ways they affect you can return to you the mental and emotional bandwidth you need for balancing these other aspects to your daily lived experience.

This process involves a combination of processing and tool/skill development, as talking through your stressors helps you to relieve some of that pressure, and me to identify appropriate tools or skills for you to experiment with. Here are a few examples of helpful tools or skills for stress management that we may learn about or practice together in a session:

1. Mindfulness: The practice of being present in the moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment. Counselors can teach clients mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises and meditation to help them manage stress and anxiety.
2. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): A form of talk therapy that helps clients identify negative thought patterns and replace them with constructive ones. Counselors can use CBT to help clients reframe their thoughts and beliefs about stress, reducing their anxiety and improving their coping skills.
3. Relaxation techniques: Progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, visualization, and other relaxation techniques can be helpful for learning to reduce tension and anxiety.
4. Time management: Identifying your priorities to help you manage your time more effectively, reducing the stress of feeling overwhelmed.
5. Problem-solving: Developing problem-solving skills to manage stressors more effectively. This may involve identifying the source of stress and developing a plan to address it.

If you think you can benefit from some of these approaches to helping you alleviate your stress, in work, school, or other areas of your life, schedule a free consultation to discuss your needs and the changes you want to see in your life.