Stress, nutrition and the Thrive agenda: Supporting wellbeing in mortgages – Kumari-Reynolds

The mortgage industry has always been demanding, but right now, many people are operating in a near-constant state of pressure.

Back-to-back virtual meetings, high expectations, regulatory demands and an ‘always on’ culture have blurred the boundaries between work and rest.

Added to this is ongoing market volatility, with recent swap rate movements – influenced by geopolitical uncertainty, including the war in Iran – triggering frequent repricing and product withdrawals, something most in the industry are feeling day to day.

Over time, that level of sustained pressure becomes normalised. But stress is not just something we feel mentally. It is something the body experiences in very real, physical ways.

 

Stress is biological, not just psychological

When stress becomes prolonged, the body shifts into, and stays in, ‘fight or flight’ mode – a response designed for short bursts, not constant activation.

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This starts to affect multiple systems in the body, presenting as anxiety, poor memory, lack of concentration, fatigue and sleep disruption. Over time, the immune system weakens, which can lead to greater vulnerability to infections and digestive issues such as bloating and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

This is where stress stops being just a mental health issue and becomes a whole-body issue.

There is a growing recognition across the industry that wellbeing needs to be approached more holistically. At Market Harborough Building Society, this thinking sits behind our Thrive programme, which focuses on supporting colleagues, customers and communities in a more joined-up, sustainable way.

 

The nutrition connection

One of the most overlooked parts of stress management is nutrition. Short-term stress sends the body into ‘survival’ mode, depressing the appetite. But longer-term or chronic stress has the opposite effect.

During longer-term stress, our stress hormone cortisol increases and stimulates hunger, which means people generally feel hungrier during these periods because they don’t recognise the feeling of fullness. At the same time, there’s a tendency to reach for comfort foods, sugary, refined carbs or salty snacks.

That creates a cycle of quick energy spikes, followed by crashes, which affect mood, focus and decision-making. This ‘emotional eating’ can also lead to weight gain. These poor food choices feed into poor sleep, fatigue and anxiety, and the vicious cycle continues.

Stress also depletes the body of key nutrients:

• Omega 3 fatty acids, linked to mood regulation and reducing inflammation
• B vitamins, essential for energy and the nervous system
• Magnesium, important for sleep and muscle function
• Zinc, key for immunity and hormonal balance

For busy professionals, especially those juggling calls or constantly on the move, this can quietly chip away at both performance and resilience.

 

The habits we fall into under pressure

The patterns will feel familiar:

• Too much caffeine
• Too little protein
• Skipping meals, especially breakfast and lunch
• Grabbing quick, processed snacks
• Eating too quickly
• Eating while working
• Not drinking enough water

Falling into these habits is understandable – most of them are driven by time pressure, not poor choices, but over time, they add up, impacting energy, focus and overall stress levels.

This is where workplace culture is so important. At Market Harborough Building Society, as part of our Thrive agenda, we run regular sessions focusing on wellbeing, resilience and mental health designed for colleagues to take time away from desks to come together for learning and collaboration. We also grow our own fresh fruit and vegetables in our head office garden, which are shared with our colleagues.

 

Small changes that actually work

The good news is that improving bad habits and lowering our stress levels does not require a complete overhaul of our lives. In fact, small, consistent changes tend to be the most effective.

Eat regularly and balance your meals
Aim for three meals per day with protein, complex carbs and healthy fats to keep energy stable.

Prepare where you can
Even basic prep, overnight oats, leftovers, simple snacks like fruit and nuts or yoghurt, can reduce reliance on high-sugar options. Healthy snack ideas include:

• Hummus and veg sticks
• Protein balls
• Boiled eggs
• Fruit with a handful of nuts/seeds/dark chocolate
• Greek yoghurt with berries
• Apple with nut butter
• Fruit and/or veg smoothies

 

Hydrate properly
Even mild dehydration affects concentration, mood and stress levels more than most people realise.

Watch caffeine intake
Drinking coffee (or Coke!) can feel helpful in the moment, but too much caffeine can increase anxiety and disrupt sleep. Cutting back, or stopping earlier in the day, can make a noticeable difference.

Build in short recovery time
That might be 10 minutes of movement, eating lunch away from your screen, or having a consistent wind-down routine in the evening.

None of this is complicated, but it is easy to overlook when you are busy.

 

Three ways you can manage your stress

• Eat three balanced meals per day, including protein (chicken, fish, eggs, lentils, beans), complex carbs (sweet potato, root vegetables, brown rice, chickpeas, black beans) and healthy fats (avocado, nuts, oily fish)
• Move every day. Even if it’s only for 10 minutes – walking, yoga, gym, strength training… it all makes a difference
• Establish a good bedtime routine – reading, a soak in the bath with Epsom salts, journaling, box breathing

Managing stress is not just about your mindset, it is also about how you fuel and support your body day to day. In a demanding industry under growing pressure, that is not a ‘nice-to-have’; it is essential for all of our wellbeing.