I’m Constantly Feeling Stressed, What Can I Do About it? (Elizabeth)

Anxiety. Regardless of what degree we experience it, anxiety will be a part of all of our lives at some point. Some people experience frequent anxiety which limits them from living a normal life. If you think this may be the case for you it’s so important to reach out to a medical professional and find solutions that work for you. If you’re someone dealing with a less serious case of stress and you experience various moments during the day where you feel overwhelmed, try some of the solutions below to help improve your mood and reduce some of that anxiety:

Exercise

Exercise can be intimidating for a lot of people and is often viewed as a strenuous chore. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Exercise looks different for everyone and for you it can be anything from doing a couple of laps around your home or doing a quick 5-minute yoga session on YouTube. Your goal is to reduce your stress, so don’t push yourself to do too much. Exercise should be a nice break from your work and an opportunity to get your blood flowing and boost your mood. 

Limit Caffeine

While coffee is often marketed as a way to kickstart/your day and boost your energy and productivity, for people with anxiety it can actually do the opposite. Caffeine stimulates your “fight or flight” response, meaning that as soon as you find an event stressful your body will release hormones called adrenaline increasing your heart rate and causing common symptoms of anxiety. If that was confusing, to put it more simply, caffeine can mimic symptoms of anxiety! Skip Starbucks and make yourself a cup of decaf tea to start your day instead.

Sleep

Deep sleep is extremely important for feeling rested and relaxed. Of course, this is easier said than done as anxiety often keeps a lot of us up at night! Don’t stress, it happens to all of us. Just remember that even if you’re not sleeping, de-stressing and relaxing are beneficial as well. So try to do things to put you in a calm mood and get you sleepier. Read, listen to music, take a relaxing bath, or re-watch an episode of your favorite show. Don’t stress if you can’t fall asleep immediately, use this time to unwind and do something calming for yourself! Make sure to give yourself enough time to relax and sleep each day, it’ll calm you down and help you feel better the next day.

Spend Time Outside

Enjoy some time in nature! Again, don’t let this request overwhelm you. You don’t have to take a huge hike or spend hours in the middle of the woods. Just remember to take a break from your busy day once and a while to step outside, open a window, and take a breath of fresh air. The artificial lights can mess up your internal clock and might affect your hormones and sleep schedule. It’s reasonable to feel stressed out and overwhelmed after a long day of work or school at your desk, so remember to take a much-needed break and enjoy the sunshine.

5-4-3-2-1

All of the previous examples are great ways to feel less stressed overall and improve your mood and anxiety. However, what happens when you feel so overwhelmed you can’t function at the moment? Beyond seeking professional help and solutions for your health issues, you might find it beneficial to practice the 5-4-3-2-1 method. This is when you ground yourself by focusing on the things around you. Find five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Ignore all other stimulants around you and focus on identifying those 15 things. If you can, excuse yourself from the stressful situation and list things out loud. Try to physically touch the things around you to bring you back to the present moment. This should make you feel calmer, but again the method doesn’t work for everyone! If you’re constantly experiencing anxiety attacks it’s always beneficial to talk to someone who can provide you with a specialized solution!

The Take Away

Everyone feels overwhelmed and anxious, unfortunately, it’s a natural part of life. Anxiety isn’t fun and can often hinder people from fully living their life. As always, don’t feel alone in these emotions, a lot of people deal with stress and anxiety attacks just like you, you’re not struggling alone!

As always, if you are feeling down and need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Letters Against Depression if you haven’t already. We send letters of hope and support to those who need someone there for them. You can request to receive letters here. In addition to that, try to implement some of the practices listed here into your daily lives. Hopefully you’ll experience an improvement in your worry levels. Our lives are constantly filled with hectic schedules and stressful situations, and it’s so important to make sure you take some time to breathe and feel more connected with the present moment.