The Candidate's Stress Busting Tips

According to the latest government statistics, over 800,000 people were reported to have suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2020/21. This is a worrying statistic as it's shown to have risen, due in part to the impact of the pandemic. So, what we do to combat this?

Seeing as April is Stress Awareness Month, so we wanted to share some top tips from our team for dealing with those moments you feel overwhelmed, and how they work on boosting their resilience to reduce feelings stress of overall.

Elliot, Associate Director - “Cooking! Best remedy for a stressful day, cooking a nice meal with a cold beer.”

Victoria, Senior Marketing Recruitment Consultant – “Going on morning runs is great for your headspace!”

Rach, Agency Recruitment Consultant –

“My tips are:

Make sure you get enough sleep
Make sure you’re drinking enough water and eating reasonably healthy
Relax by watching your fav series with some candles/incense to create a chilled atmosphere”

Laura, Executive Search, Board Director -

“For me, a few different ways:

A cuddle with my little girl
A walk into the garden to appreciate nature – fresh air, changes to the season – big deep breaths
A chat with my partner, mum, dad or colleagues to get a fresh perspective”

Ceri, Senior Contract Recruitment Consultant – “I’d say that the few things that help me is either going to the gym, or going for a walk and listening to music.”

Melanie, Marketing and Operations Manager – “I think it’s really important that when you feel stressed or overwhelmed at work that you share how you are feeling with someone. If you can’t talk to someone at work, then share it with a friend or loved one. In my experience this helps a lot as when you share how you are feeling, it can lighten the load immediately and get rid of some of the negative mind talk out of your head.”

Emma, Director – “Whenever I feel stressed, which is fairly often, I find going for a walk or run helps! I know it’s a cliché, but exercise really does help. Even if it’s a 5 min stroll, just being in a different setting and having some time to breath makes you feel and think differently.”

Phil, Technology Recruitment Consultant – “Physical exercise (walks, gym, sports etc) – and putting down the phone!”

Sara, Creative Recruitment Consultant - "I'll either do some yoga or go for a walk - getting outside, some fresh air and sunlight always massively helps me, or if I'm particularly stressed about something, talking it over with someone helps as well."

Leif, Director – “I do find going for a run or doing a guided meditation with Headspace does often help lower my stress levels, but I think there’s a bit of a stigma around stress management and it having to be almost lily-white which is potentially damaging.

Abusing alcohol/substances will inevitably make things worse, but I don’t think that should stop us admitting that sometimes we just need to have a bottle of red and set the world to rights with a friend to get our heads straight again - not everything that is good for you, is good for you!"

Natasha, Search & Selection Resourcer– “Having five children this brings various challenges on a daily basis! A big stress buster for me is running, it doesn’t have to be far (or fast) but I find time away from home on my own to clear my head makes me feel refreshed and reset, ready to take on the world again!”

Colin, Managing Partner – “Go for a run or walk (without your phone!)”

Katy, Creative Recruitment Manager –

"My tips are:

Stepping away from screens for a bit – switching off properly when I get home.
Going for a walk and getting some fresh air.
Remember that it’s not the end of world if you make a little mistake – we’re only human! Regroup and learn from that mistake for next time.”

Natalie, Marketing Executive – “I like to make a plan. As boring as it sounds, when I’m stressed I find it really helps to break down the problem into manageable chunks and think how I can fix the smaller issues, instead of being overwhelmed with a dilemma that feels abstract and all-encompassing! You soon realise that the only things worth worrying about are the things you can control. If it’s beyond your control or won’t matter in a year’s time, then try to let it go and absolve yourself of that stress!”

The Candidate has a trained Mental Health First Aider in place to provide staff with a source of confidential and judgement-free support. Having someone to talk to who knows the best skills and techniques to help when it comes to dealing with stress, anxiety, and feelings of depression, can be a great source of support and guidance. Find out more information about stress here. Click here for organisations you can contact about dealing with stress.

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