Identify the pressure and your response
Stress can follow an external demand: a deadline, an argument, illness or too much to manage. Tension, restless thoughts, irritability and disrupted sleep can be part of the response. The same sensation can have different causes.
A wearable stress score estimates signals in your body; it cannot identify the problem or diagnose anxiety. Start by naming what is happening around you as well as how you feel.
Use a brief reset
Try putting your feet on a comfortable surface, noticing what you can see and hear, and bringing attention back to the task in front of you. WHO’s stress guide includes grounding and other skills that can be practised in a few minutes.
For comfortable breathing practice, NHS guidance suggests gentle, unforced breathing for at least five minutes. Do not force a deep breath or insist on a particular count. Stop if the exercise makes you dizzy or uncomfortable.
Match the next step to the pressure
| Pressure | A useful next action |
|---|---|
| Too many competing tasks | Choose the next necessary task and discuss what can wait |
| A difficult conversation | Prepare the point you need to communicate and ask for time if needed |
| A problem outside your control | Ask for practical or emotional support rather than repeatedly checking a score |
| A pattern that keeps returning | Note the trigger and seek help changing the situation |
Know when more support is useful
A breathing exercise will not solve unsafe circumstances or an impossible workload. Ask for help with the situation itself. NIMH recommends professional support when symptoms persist, interfere with daily life or make it difficult to cope.
For this week, choose one coping practice and one change to a recurring pressure. Notice whether they help you function, rather than trying to make every stress reading disappear.
Sources
Research and official guidance reviewed 3 November 2026; practical examples are illustrative.
- NIMH: stress, anxiety and when to seek help ↗
Defines stress and anxiety, symptoms and when continuing interference with daily life warrants professional support.
- WHO: Doing What Matters in Times of Stress ↗
WHO’s evidence-informed, field-tested guide includes brief grounding and coping skills; no guaranteed treatment effect is claimed.
- NHS: breathing exercises for stress ↗
NHS exercise specifies gentle breathing without forcing it and practice for at least five minutes. The situation-response table is illustrative.