Top 5 Ways to Cope with Stress

Top 5 Ways to Cope with Stress

Top 5 Ways to Cope with Stress

It is July 2020.  I think we can all agree it has probably been one of the most stressful years we have endured.  You go through the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic on top of our everyday stress.  The stress of trying to meet deadlines at work, working on your relationships, taking care of your family, dealing with your family, and somehow trying to figure out how to take care of yourself in the midst of this chaos.  I thought I would share some popular and effective ways of dealing with stress in our lives.

1.        Back to basics.  You get stressed out and you start to put taking care of yourself on the back burner.  So, what’s back to basics about?  Making sure you are eating enough healthy food during the day.  Drinking enough water throughout the day.  Trying to go to bed at a reasonable time and wake up at a reasonable time.  When we put basic self-care on the back burner, it is even more difficult to deal with stress.  I think about the old Snickers commercial of “You aren’t you when you’re hungry.”  It is pretty accurate.  If you skip breakfast and lunch and are dehydrated, your distress tolerance may be much lower. 

2.       Ask for help.  Many times, it feels easier to just tackle the to-do list by yourself.  It seems like a good idea at the time, but as stress increases, it makes it that much harder to stay on top of everything.  Asking for help is tricky.  It is a vulnerable feeling as you do not know what the other person will say.  On the other side, you might not receive help if no one knows you need it.  Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.  If your support system is  unable to help, it may be beneficial to reach out for help for therapy.  Therapy can be a great way to make time for yourself and help navigate your stressors. 

3.       Take mini breaks.  When your stressed, you tell yourself you have no time for anything.  Sometimes that self-talk actually makes us feel more stressed.  Pause for a moment or two and take some deep breathes in through your nose and out through your mouth.  This can be a great pause and a little reset before you face your next stressor.  Another way to take a break is to limit news and/or limit time on social media.  Not only can it be a time suck, it can negatively impact our mood. 

4.       Say no.  No is a complete sentence.  No.  Sometime stress increases when you offer to go out of your way to help others. It is a kind gesture, but it can out you out, take time away from your self-care, and can possibly create feelings of resentment.  Remember, saying no to something allows you to say yes to something for yourself. 

5.       Talk to someone. You do not have to keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself.  You are not in this alone.  Try talking to a trusted friend or family member.  If that is not enough support or not an option, trying to talk to a therapist about  stress management and your emotions. 

Online Therapy in CT

Azalea Counseling & Wellness, LLC is currently offering online counseling so there is no need to wait to seek support until after the pandemic.   Call 860-888-2516 or email to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation today!

5 Activities That May Alleviate Anxiety

You are experiencing more stress than ever before.  You try to balance increasing work stress, trying to cope with a pandemic, all on top pf household stress.  The result?  Anxiety starts kicking in.  You go through your ever-growing to-do list in your head which makes your mind start to race.  Then you cannot fall asleep at night (Hey, thanks racing thoughts!)You start to feel worries about several different things going on and feel like it is impossible to control the worry.  There is hope!  There are several different activities that can help reduce some anxiety sometimes. 

Here are 5 popular activities to try to alleviate anxiety:

1.       Exercise.  Yes, the tried and true exercise.  Find an activity that you enjoy and can be consistent with.  The physical stress that anxiety has on the body can actually work to reduce anxiety.  Exercise works to reduce the stress hormone, Cortisol.  Exercise also releases endorphins which can naturally improve emotional well-being.

2.       Reduce caffeine intake.  I know, I know, this does not sound like fun; however, large amounts of caffeine can increase anxiety as caffeine is a stimulant.  Coffee, tea, chocolate (sigh), and energy drinks all contain various amounts of caffeine.  Of course, everyone responds to caffeine differently.  See how you feel after consuming items with caffeine.  If you feel an increase in anxiety, you might want to consider cutting back.

3.       Write.  Sometimes there can be something so helpful about writing things down that can be soothing.  There are a few ways to do this.  Some people find it helpful to write about the things that activate anxiety and how they coped.  Others find it helpful to write down the things they are grateful for during that day.  There is no right or wrong way to journal (and spelling does not count – this is just for you!).  Experiment with what works for you.

4.       Deep breathing.  When anxiety increases, our body’s sympathetic nervous system activates our “fight or flight response”.  This “fight or flight” response is helpful when we are in danger; however, when we are feeling anxious, we are not typically in danger.  The heart starts to race, the chest area feels tight, palms get sweaty, and breathing quickens.  Sometimes this can be the start of a panic attack.  Deep breathing is a way we can tell our body that we are not in danger and do not need “all systems go” right now.  Deep breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for rest and relaxation.  Bring awareness to your breath, breathing slower and deeper. 

5.       Say “no”.  Very often, we commit to too many things and too many people.  When you start to feel overwhelmed or start to resent things or others, it is a sign you have taken on too much.  When we can say “no” to others, we can start saying “yes” to ourselves to recharge. 

Counseling in Colchester, CT

If you are feeling anxious and having a difficult time managing anxiety, call 860-888-2516 or email to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.