With economic uncertainty, long working hours, political strife, and screen time on the rise, people in all corners of the globe are feeling more stressed than ever.
And while short bursts of stress are manageable, long-term stress can have a whole host of negative implications. It can impact quality of life — including harming relationships — and can lead to a wide range of mental and physical health conditions such as anxiety, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system.
It’s important to remember that, while it might not always feel like it, there are plenty of ways that individuals who are feeling overwhelmed can manage their stress levels. In this post, we’ll run through some of the most effective strategies that have been clinically proven to help manage stress. Just keep in mind that there’s no magic bullet solution for managing stress, so you may need to experiment with multiple options until you find the approach that’s right for you.
Acknowledge It
It’s easy to overlook stress, or to explain it away as something that people just have to deal with. Some people even normalize chronic stress, believing that it’s simply a byproduct of their home or professional life.
Explaining stress away can be damaging because it avoids taking responsibility for managing it. Your stress levels might be high right now, but they don’t have to be. Accepting that you’re stressed and committing to making things better is often a vital first step that really can make a big difference. Even simply deciding that things must change can give an individual a boost.
OK, with that out of the way, let’s look at some of the most effective, science-backed ways to decrease stress levels.
Improve Your Sleep
Good sleep is vital for overall well-being, especially when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed. It’s when you’re sleeping that your body regulates your stress hormones, restores mental energy, and processes emotions, all of which can be crucial for making life easier to manage.
Contrast that with what happens when you don’t sleep enough. At that point, you’ll be more likely to be irritable, find it more difficult to make the right decision, and generally make yourself more liable to be impacted by negative thoughts and emotions.
Researchers have uncovered a lot about what’s required to get a consistent night’s sleep. Putting together a sleep-friendly bedroom, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and eliminating screen use in the hour before bedtime can all make it much easier to fall and remain asleep.
Start the Day Right
How to start your morning can set the tone for the rest of your day. Starting your day from a stressful, rushed position makes it less likely that you’ll have moments of calm throughout the day. Getting up slightly earlier than you normally do will ensure you have the time to engage in some good-for-you, calming activities before you leave for work. These can include doing 15 minutes of meditation/breathwork, stretching, and having a slow breakfast with a calming tea (such as chamomile or peppermint tea).
You can also lower your stress levels by taking a cold shower. The prospect can be unpleasant, but research shows that cold showers lower cortisol (a stress hormone) and boost endorphins (a happy hormone).
Talk to Friends and Family
It’s additionally difficult to live with stress when it feels like you’re going through things alone. But here’s the thing: you’re never going through things alone. Stress is a universal, human experience, and though it can feel isolating, the fact is that you’ll have plenty of friends and family who will be happy to support you. Talking to your loved ones about what you’re going through can provide emotional relief, help you make sense of your experience, and, in some cases, provide some much-needed comic relief. Remember, laughter is often the best medicine!
Recognize When You Need Professional Help
With that said, while talking with friends and family can help when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it’s also important to recognize that, in some cases, it may be better to talk to a trained professional. Working with a therapist can help you get insights into what’s causing your stress, provide healthy coping strategies, and just more broadly provide a safe space for you to talk openly and honestly about what you’re going through. While therapy can be expensive if paid privately, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s often available via health insurance plans. Does United Healthcare cover therapy? Yes. Does Elevance Health cover therapy? Yes. Does Centene Corp? Yes. You’ll just need to check that your specific plan covers it.
Keep a Journal
Talking has long been recognized as one of the most effective ways to lower stress levels, and there’s another communication method that has also been shown to work well: writing. Keeping a journal is a great way to combat stress because it provides a space for you to release the thoughts that have been occupying your mind. Many people find that they feel much better after they’ve spent thirty minutes writing out their thoughts and feelings. As well as providing instant relief, journaling can also help individuals to identify patterns and triggers, which can then make it easier for them to gain control of their stress levels.
Go For A Run
Working up a sweat has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to manage stress levels. Not only does exercise help to get rid of stressful energy by lowering cortisol levels, but it also assists with the production of endorphins, which boost mood. Even short periods of exercise, such as a brisk walk around the block, can be effective.
Say No
Learning to say no can be crucial when feeling overwhelmed. Many people feel stressed because they feel they have to do everything, even when they don’t want to; becoming comfortable saying no helps to regain control, functioning as a useful reminder that you have the capacity to decide what you want to do and how you spend your time.
