Stress causes a wide range of psychological and physical problems such as:

• You might find it hard to stop worrying or dwelling on problems
• You might find that life isn’t all that fulfilling
• You feel down, on edge or overwhelmed.

The Stress Control courses delivered by the Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service are designed to help with these typical experiences. Each session runs for two hours, and are available during the day or evening, classes are delivered by qualified practitioners. Classes are designed to follow a self-help model aimed at enabling people to start to improve their wellbeing straight away.

Engaging with these courses will help you to:

• Learn effective coping strategies and tips to improve emotional health
• Learn about stress and why it is such a common problem
• Cope better with future difficulties and be well prepared for any future treatment

What words of encouragement would you give someone attending the stress control course for the first time?

• "The tutors are very open and friendly, the material is interesting to read""
• "Don’t be sceptical- it actually works!"
• "It is a life skill, attend and take control of your life"
• "Start with an open mind, I did not label my symptoms or problems as stress or anxiety due to stigmatisation prior to the course however, I am now able to acknowledge and accept that I do suffer from this and I am ready to overcome this"
• "You have nothing to lose by going. You are not expected to speak or anything so it was not a stressful experience at all. It is a very good investment in your well-being"
• "Do it. The relief I got coming to the class was so uplifting just to be surrounded by people who are going through the same things as me. The knowledge and understanding that I got has made me feel that I can control my own situation"
• "The first class is the hardest but also the most rewarding"
• "Don't be afraid, everyone is really friendly and it wont be as bad as you think.  Trust me it helps and you can always talk to the people around you"
• "It is not as scary as you think.  There is no pressure for your to join in and they aren't going to look at you in the room"