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Stress

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

What causes stress? 

Feelings of stress are normally triggered by things happening in your life which involve:

  • Being under lots of pressure 
  • Facing big changes 
  • Worrying about something 
  • Not having much or any control over the outcome of a situation 
  • Having responsibilities that you’re finding overwhelming 
  • Not having enough work, activities or change in your life 
  • Times of uncertainty  

There might be one big thing causing you stress, but stress can also be caused by a build-up of small pressures. This might make it harder for you to identify what’s making you feel stressed, or to explain it to other people. 

“Lots of things stress me at the moment, mainly worries about my memory, as I’m a pensioner with nothing to do all day. Trying to fill my day is hard as I have arthritis so can’t walk too far.”

Why do certain things make me feel stressed? 

The amount of stress you feel in different situations may depend on many factors such as: 

  • Your perception of the situation – this might be connected to your past experiences, your self-esteem, and how your thought processes work (for example, if you tend to interpret things positively or negatively) 
  • Now experienced you are at dealing with that particular type of pressure 
  • Your emotional resilience to stressful situations 
  • The amount of other pressures on you at the time 
  • The amount of support you are receiving. 

We’re all different, so a situation that doesn’t bother you at all might cause someone else a lot of stress. For example, if you’re feeling confident or usually enjoy public speaking, you might find that giving a speech in front of people feels comfortable and fun. But if you’re feeling low or usually prefer not to be the centre of attention, this situation might cause you to experience signs of stress. 

“I get stressed when things get out of perspective – too much work, thinking too far ahead.”

What kind of situations can cause stress?  

Stress can be caused by a variety of different common life events, many of which are difficult to avoid. For example:

  • Personal
  • Illness or injury 
  • Pregnancy and becoming a parent 
  • Bereavement 
  • Long-term health problems 
  • Organising a complicated event, like a group holiday 
  • Everyday tasks such as travel or household chores.
  • Friends and Family
  • Getting married or civil partnered
  • Going through a break-up or getting divorced
  • Difficult relationships with parents, siblings, friends or children
  • Being a carer for a friend or relative who needs lots of support.
  • Employment and Study
  • Losing your job
  • Long-term unemployment
  • Retiring
  • Exams and deadlines
  • Difficult issues at work
  • Starting a new job.
  • Housing
  • Housing problems such as poor living conditions, lack of security or homelessness
  • Moving house
  • Problems with neighbours
  • Money
  • Worries about money or benefits
  • Poverty
  • Debt.

“My breakdown […] was due to having a stressful job as a project manager and dealing with a marriage break up and subsequent divorce.”

Can happy events cause stress? 

Some of the situations listed above are often thought of as happy events – for example, you might feel expected to be happy or excited about getting married or having a baby. 

But because they can bring big changes or make unusual demands on you, they can still be very stressful. This can be particularly difficult to deal with, because you might feel there’s additional pressure on you to be positive. 

“I’ve never been more stressed in my life than the 6 months leading up to my wedding… everyone kept asking me if I was happy and expecting me to be excited all the time, but I just couldn’t feel it. I ended up getting really ill.”

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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

What causes stress? 

What causes stress? 

Feelings of stress are normally triggered by things happening in your life which involve:

  • Being under lots of pressure 
  • Facing big changes 
  • Worrying about something 
  • Not having much or any control over the outcome of a situation 
  • Having responsibilities that you're finding overwhelming 
  • Not having enough work, activities or change in your life 
  • Times of uncertainty  

There might be one big thing causing you stress, but stress can also be caused by a build-up of small pressures. This might make it harder for you to identify what's making you feel stressed, or to explain it to other people. 

“Lots of things stress me at the moment, mainly worries about my memory, as I'm a pensioner with nothing to do all day. Trying to fill my day is hard as I have arthritis so can’t walk too far.”

Why do certain things make me feel stressed? 

The amount of stress you feel in different situations may depend on many factors such as: 

  • Your perception of the situation – this might be connected to your past experiences, your self-esteem, and how your thought processes work (for example, if you tend to interpret things positively or negatively) 
  • Now experienced you are at dealing with that particular type of pressure 
  • Your emotional resilience to stressful situations 
  • The amount of other pressures on you at the time 
  • The amount of support you are receiving. 

We're all different, so a situation that doesn't bother you at all might cause someone else a lot of stress. For example, if you're feeling confident or usually enjoy public speaking, you might find that giving a speech in front of people feels comfortable and fun. But if you're feeling low or usually prefer not to be the centre of attention, this situation might cause you to experience signs of stress. 

“I get stressed when things get out of perspective – too much work, thinking too far ahead.”

What kind of situations can cause stress?  

Stress can be caused by a variety of different common life events, many of which are difficult to avoid. For example:

  • Personal
  • Illness or injury 
  • Pregnancy and becoming a parent 
  • Bereavement 
  • Long-term health problems 
  • Organising a complicated event, like a group holiday 
  • Everyday tasks such as travel or household chores.
  • Friends and Family
  • Getting married or civil partnered
  • Going through a break-up or getting divorced
  • Difficult relationships with parents, siblings, friends or children
  • Being a carer for a friend or relative who needs lots of support.
  • Employment and Study
  • Losing your job
  • Long-term unemployment
  • Retiring
  • Exams and deadlines
  • Difficult issues at work
  • Starting a new job.
  • Housing
  • Housing problems such as poor living conditions, lack of security or homelessness
  • Moving house
  • Problems with neighbours
  • Money
  • Worries about money or benefits
  • Poverty
  • Debt.

“My breakdown [...] was due to having a stressful job as a project manager and dealing with a marriage break up and subsequent divorce.”

Can happy events cause stress? 

Some of the situations listed above are often thought of as happy events – for example, you might feel expected to be happy or excited about getting married or having a baby. 

But because they can bring big changes or make unusual demands on you, they can still be very stressful. This can be particularly difficult to deal with, because you might feel there's additional pressure on you to be positive. 

“I've never been more stressed in my life than the 6 months leading up to my wedding... everyone kept asking me if I was happy and expecting me to be excited all the time, but I just couldn't feel it. I ended up getting really ill.”