Copy article

How do you deal with the stress of watching England in the World Cup?

ended 08. July 2026

England are stressing out a nation at the World Cup, but they are through to the quarter-finals. We want some tips and tricks for dealing with stress and anxiety while watching them. As we are about to do it all again on Saturday 10pm against Norway. It can get serious with over drinking, stressing out, over eating and even lashing out at others.

  • How do you deal with the stress of watching England?
  • Any tips and tricks?
  • How important is it to not let stress get the better of you? And how do you help calm down friends or family?

Responses today.

2 responses from the Newspage community

Copy all

Copy

Watching England is basically cardio with snacks. The trick is to treat it like a match, not a medical emergency. Keep water next to the beer, eat something proper before kick-off, and step away from the screen for a minute if your heart is doing extra time. If you feel yourself getting wound up, breathe out slowly, unclench your jaw, and remember shouting at the telly has never once improved England’s finishing. For friends or family, don’t mock them for stressing. Lower the volume, make them sit down, give them a drink of water and talk them through the next few minutes. Football is supposed to be drama, not a reason to drink too much, overeat, or take it out on the people around you.
Copy

I've learnt that at least 50% of the stress comes from having to listen to the infuriating punditry. If I have to listen to one more anecdote from Lee Dixon about his distinctly average England playing career, I'm going to throw my telly out the window. You’re much better off muting the coverage and putting on some music instead.