I’m a clinical psychologist – these are the 5-minute stress management techniques that actually work

Stress is something that impacts us all from time-to-time, with Mental Health UK’s 2026 Burnout report revealing that nine in ten adults experienced high or extreme levels of stress in the past year.

While some stress can’t be avoided, there is one thing that we can do about it, and that is change the way we manage it. From supplements to sleep aids, there is no shortage of products that promise to help relieve stress, but thankfully, some of the most effective stress management techniques don’t require elaborate self-care routines or anything to further add to your mental load.

To understand more, we caught up with Dr Anna Batho, a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS, who shared her three go-to stress management techniques that she says are always effective.

Take some time off

“First, book some annual leave. I’m serious. Most people I talk to who are stressed haven’t taken time off for too long. You don’t need to go away, but you do need time away from work. Book it now,” she recommends.

Say ‘no’ more

Many of us start to feel more stressed when we feel overwhelmed and have taken too much on, either at work or in our personal lives, so now could be the time to scale things back, as Dr. Batho recommends: “Second, while you’re waiting for the break, start to actively say no to tasks or requests which are filling your ‘stress bucket’ up. They might be small, but they add up, and right now you don’t have capacity. It’s OK to say ‘no’ or ‘not right now’. We say yes too often, and so we need to practice saying no a bit more, so we have less on our plate, just for now. It will feel uncomfortable, but that’s the sign we need to get better at it.”

Introduce effective relaxation techniques

Finally, taking practical steps to support your nervous system and aid relaxation can help when you’re feeling stressed. These techniques are simple, can be used anywhere and are effective.

“Thirdly, carve out time in your day for at least five minutes of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) or diaphragmatic breathing. These have scientifically been shown time and time again to make a difference to stress levels,” Dr Batho says.

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Progressive muscle relaxation:

“For PMR, tense one set of muscles (say your fists, for example) for five seconds, then spend seven seconds letting go, relaxing them, letting gravity take over. Then move onto the next set of muscles (your biceps, for example), tense them for five seconds, then relax for seven, and so on until you have tensed and relaxed all of your muscles, including your face. Finish by scanning your body to see if there’s any residual tension and consciously let go of it, relaxing it all.”

Diaphragmatic breathing:

“For diaphragmatic breathing, place one hand over your stomach, the other on your chest, and gradually breathe in deeply using your diaphragm, so that the hand over your stomach moves. Pause, then slowly exhale, spending longer on the breath out than the inhale. Repeat, falling into a rhythm which feels soothing to you.”

The clinical psychologist concludes: “Trust the process, doing this regularly will become easier and easier and will become second nature after a while.”