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Thrive4Life

Awareness campaign

Stress Awareness

In many workplaces stress is worn as a badge of honour, but it comes at a cost to health, relationships and performance. Our campaign helps your people understand how stress works, recognise the signs of burnout, and use simple, evidence-based techniques to manage pressure and build resilience. Ideal for Stress Awareness Month in April, or at any time of year.

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of UK adults felt so stressed in the past year that they were overwhelmed or unable to cope (2025 survey)
74%
people in the UK experience work-related stress so extreme they believe it is making them ill
Half a million
UK workers report "running on empty", due to burnout, poor mental health and work-related stress (2023 report)
Almost half
Jump to The pop-up stand Key messages Talks and webinars Campaign resources Infographics Book this campaign

At your premises

The Stress Awareness pop-up stand

Where
On site, at your premises
How long
Half a day to five days
Who
Manned by the Thrive4Life team

Our team runs a relaxed, practical stand where your people can take a few minutes out, learn what stress does to the body, and try techniques they can use at their desk straight away. Everyone experiences stress differently, so the stand is about understanding your own stress, not a one-size-fits-all message.

What is on the stand

  • Techniques to try: quick demonstrations of the physiological sigh and box breathing, two simple ways to calm the nervous system in the moment.
  • Campaign newsletter: Managing Stress and Building Resilience, in print and to share digitally.
  • Spotting burnout: how burnout differs from everyday stress, its warning signs, and why it needs deliberate recovery.
  • Infographics on burnout, work-related stress and the HSE Management Standards, for the stand and your internal channels.
  • Signposting to your own support, such as an Employee Assistance Programme, and to trusted organisations for further help.
Five members of the Thrive4Life team smiling in front of their pop-up stand
The Thrive4Life team on a campaign pop-up stand.

Key messages

What your people take away

Stress is not a weakness

Stress is the body's natural response to a challenge: a biological process designed to protect us. Adrenaline sharpens focus and raises the heart rate; cortisol boosts the glucose that fuels the brain.

Short-term stress can even help us meet deadlines and solve problems. The real danger is chronic, unmanaged stress, which can take a toll on both physical and mental health.

Techniques for the moment

  • Physiological sigh: inhale through the nose, take a second short inhale, then exhale slowly through the mouth.
  • Box breathing: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
  • Cognitive reframing: swap "I can't cope with this" for "this is challenging, but I can take it one step at a time".
  • Mindfulness: bring your attention back to your breath, your body or your surroundings to interrupt the stress cycle.

Practised regularly, not only when overwhelmed, they work best when you need them most.

For employers: the six areas behind work-related stress

The Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards set out the six areas of work that, if not properly managed, are linked to poor health and wellbeing. Every campaign can include a conversation with your managers about them.

  1. Demands: workload, expectations and work patterns.
  2. Control: how much say people have in how they work.
  3. Support: encouragement, training and resources.
  4. Relationships: dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
  5. Role: understanding responsibilities and duties.
  6. Change: how change is managed and communicated.

Expert-led talks

Talks and webinars to go with the campaign

Add a live talk, in person or online, or share a recorded webinar for your people to watch whenever suits them. Poor communication is one of the most common causes of stress at work, which is why this webinar is a natural partner to the campaign:

For a longer-term approach, see our programme for managing stress and mental health in the workplace, and our line manager and leadership training.

Campaign resources

Written by Thrive4Life, printed on the stand and shared digitally

Newsletter · 13 pages

Stress Awareness Month: Managing Stress and Building Resilience

What stress is, its common sources, the difference between stress and burnout, practical techniques for the moment, and the habits that build resilience over time.

View (PDF)

Article · 5 pages

Stress: We All Experience It Differently

Why the same situation can be an exciting challenge for one person and a source of stress for another, and what that means for managing your own stress.

View (PDF)

Fact sheet · 1 page

Understanding Mental Health and Stress

Shared with our Mental Health Awareness campaign: how stress works, building resilience, the physiological sigh and the Seven Pillars of Wellbeing.

View (PDF)

Promote the campaign

Infographics for your internal channels

Infographics to share on your intranet, in staff emails and on social media, before and during the campaign. We can brand them for your organisation. Select any one to see it full size.

Almost half of UK workers are running on empty due to burnout, mental ill-health and work-related stress How to prevent and recover from burnout About half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress so extreme they believe it is making them ill The Stress Management Standards: six critical areas Using communication to tackle stress in the workplace: five tips The benefits of gratitude, from lower stress to better sleep

Book the Stress Awareness campaign

Run it on its own, or combine it with our other campaigns into one fully managed event. It pairs especially well with Mental Health Awareness. Tell us when, where and for how long, from half a day to five days, and we will put together a plan and a quote.

Contact us Email info@thrive4life.co.uk

Or call 020 8972 9675 · See all our campaigns