It is quite common to feel an increase in stress after a cardiac event. Stress is not only unpleasant; it may reduce your motivation to make the kind of lifestyle changes which are helpful to your heart, such as improving your diet or activity level. Therefore it is important to learn ways to reduce stress and improve your sense of wellbeing.
The “stress bucket” is a simple analogy we use to explain in everyday terms how we experience stress, some of the pitfalls we fall into, and ways to help us better manage our stress.
Here you can see a summary of what was described in the “stress bucket” video.
More information about stress and its relevance to heart conditions is shown on the Stress Information handout.
NHS Stress Management
NHS information on Stress and Stress Management
BHF Stress Management
British Heart Foundation’s information on stress and cardiac conditions.
British Heart Foundation’s booklet on stress and how to manage it.
Stepping back from stressful thoughts
The techniques below are from the Getself help website. Try one of them.
The STOPP technique is a mindfulness-based practice designed to help you step back from stressful thoughts for a moment. Try to practice this a few times in the day until it becomes a more natural habit. The Helicopter View encourages you to try to step back and see a wider picture. The Worry Tree helps you think about how to tackle worries. Which ones CAN you set aside a little time to do something practical to change them. Which ones are only hypothetical. If this is the case how can you step back from these.
