Stress: Can You Beat It?

Earlier this year the charity Mental Health UK released a report which found that Britain is now at risk of becoming a burnt out nation, with nine out of ten people living with either high or extreme levels of stress.

In this episode of ITV’s Tonight programme, Gordon Smart finds out more about modern day stress and explores whether we can beat it.

We meet Ngozi Weller who shares her personal experience of reaching burnout eight years ago whilst working in a high pressure job in an oil and gas industry. Stress affected her mentally and physically, and she was signed off work by her GP. With time and support she recovered, but she didn’t return to her original career. Instead she founded her own business working with companies to tackle the issue of stress in the workplace.

Gordon meets former Royal Marine Sam Murray, whose life was revolutionised by discovering breathwork and ice baths. Sam underwent professional training and started a company with his partner Miranda who is a breathwork practitioner.  They now spend their days running workshops for the public, and working closely with the emergency services, NHS workers and military veterans. 

In the programme, Gordon Smart takes part in a guided breathwork and ice bath session. Studies have found that deep breathing exercises can create shifts in our body’s nervous system and reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. There isn’t a huge amount of evidence or research into the effects of ice baths, but it’s thought they can trigger the release of endorphins which can enhance your mood and reduce stress.

It’s important to note that ice baths are not suitable for everyone, and can be dangerous if not done correctly. It is important to receive medical advice first, and only go ahead in a controlled environment, under expert supervision.

To find out more about modern day stress, and how we can tackle it, Tonight devised an experiment, with Physiologist Oliver Patrick. 

We followed two people with notoriously stressful jobs: Chef Zak from Manchester, and teacher Hannah from Essex. Our test tracked their heart rate variability and revealed that both were having difficulty switching off and giving their bodies time to recover from stress. 

They then tried some stress busting techniques including mindful eating, getting out into nature, practising yoga, and listening to audiobooks during their commute. The data showed that building more ‘recovery’ time into their daily routine with these sorts of activities had a positive impact on their heart variability and overall stress levels.

Relevant Links:

Aurora - Ngozi Weller’s company working to help tackle stress in the workplace.