How to Deal With Stress
Orlando Therapist: How to Deal With Stress
Do you feel stressed out and overwhelmed? Does it feel like the stress in your life has taken on a life of its own. Do you feel like you’re in a pressure cooker and are about to pop?
You’re not alone. We all feel stressed from time to time, whether it is stress about finances, family, or work. A little stress is normal, but constant stress can wreak havoc on your health and your life.
As an Orlando therapist who specializes in anxiety and trauma, I help clients cope with stress. I help them pinpoint where the pressure stems from and help them navigate those difficult moments. Use the simple tips below to help to stay afloat when you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress.
Ways Stress Affects Your Health
Stress causes a myriad of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, panic attacks, memory problems, and difficulty focusing. When a person is struggling with these mental health problems, their quality of life is impacted negatively because they are not as productive at work, are less present and have less patience with their families, and are less likely to reach out for social support. All of this compounds stress because with these problems comes the deterioration of self-worth and confidence.
There is a huge overlap of chronic health issues with stress and anxiety. Many of the comorbid health problems our stressed and anxious clients struggle with are auto-immune illness, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, chronic pain, seizures, high blood pressure, and chronic headaches.
3 Ways to Deal With Stress in the Moment
1. Breathing deeply and elongating the exhale.
When we are stressed, we tend to take short and shallow breaths. When we take deep inhales and even longer exhales, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming effect on our mind and body.
2. Be here now.
Often stress is born out of ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. Open up your awareness to the present moment and notice what is neutral or positive about right now. Focus on these subtleties and notice how the body settles.
3. Realize that all stressors are temporary.
All of life, the good and the bad, ebbs and flows. Lean into the fact that whatever stress you are experiencing will come to an end. Often our stress is compounded because our internal dialogue is harsh and critical, when you're super stressed, practice self-kindness. Say kind things to yourself the way you would to a friend that’s struggling with something.
3 Habits to Alleviate Long-term Stress
Start a mindfulness or meditation practice.
Mindfulness and meditation incorporate breath work, and present moment awareness, and teaches us about the impermanence of thoughts and emotions. If we practice these skills daily, we are better able to cope when big stressors come our way.
Cultivate nurturing relationships with healthy people.
Feeling alone and isolated during stressful times will exacerbate stress levels. Having a healthy support system in place makes dealing with stressful events more manageable.
Create a self-care plan.
Self-care will look different for each person. Some people like alone time and others want to socialize. For some folks spending a day in nature fills their cup, for others, it’s going to a sporting event. Create a list of activities that fill your bucket and do at least one activity each week.
Interested in Therapy Orlando?
If you’re interested in working on your self-care with a therapist, click here to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with Mindful Living Counseling Orlando.
Additional Therapy Orlando Resources
About the Author
Orlando Therapist, Lauran Hahn, LMHC, specializes in working with clients that are struggling with anxiety and trauma. She also helps clients heal from and stop getting into toxic relationships. Lauran is a Certified Sensorimotor Psychotherapist, Certified EMDR Therapist, and an EMDR Approved Consultant. She helps people feel calm in their body, peace in their mind, and connected in relationships.
Mindful Living Counseling Orlando is a trauma healing center. Our Orlando Therapy Services include anxiety therapy, trauma counseling, EMDR therapy, eating disorder recovery, teen counseling, and healing from toxic relationships. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we use a down-to-earth approach infused with cutting-edge therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy so clients can heal at the root level and experience lasting change. Feel free to access one of our Guided Meditations to help you feel settled and calm now.