How Can I Manage Stress Fast?
MANAGE DISTRESS IN THREE STEPS
Although I am a licensed Master’s level social worker, this post and all other posts are not meant to be utilized as professional services. You are unique and although posts are helpful for guidance and suggestions, they are not intended as a substitution for traditional services. If you need a professional, do find one!
HOW DO WE COPE WITH LIFE’S STRESS?
Wondering how to cope when life is getting overwhelming? Being a human isn’t as easy as it looks at times.
Fortunately, finding ways to manage strong emotions can quite simple!
Before my schooling, I coped in the most impulsive ways: diving into a box of cookies, oversleeping and picking fights with boyfriends at the time. Sound familiar?
Everyone discounts skills they already have! You may do the same. Take a moment to explore what you do when it feels like the sky is falling.
Have a habit of overeating? Isolating? Using drugs? Alcohol? Cutting? Spending? Gambling? Getting angry and exploding on people? Engaging in risky sexual behavior? Overworking? Just ignoring and avoiding the problem entirely?
All of these are coping skills. But I would imagine they are causing more harm than good. And maybe making your stress worse from guilt or shame after?
Below are three techniques to try instead..
What is a “Normal” of Stress?
In our society, we are hyper-focused on perfection. Not sure if you noticed or not (note heavy sarcasm). Pressure to be “better” or “more” Intensifies our stress.
Standards of perfection also leave us with unhealthy expectations. Sometimes we want something to work perfectly. If the stress isn’t completely absolved, then we write it off prematurely.
If you use a new coping skill and stress shifts from a 10/10 to a 7/10, or any improvement for that matter, it IS effective. Maybe just not as effective as we want it to be.
Address any perfect mindsets you have for skills and embrace open-mindedness The truth is we may need a combination of various coping skills before we get to a 2/10 or 0/10. This is completely normal!
BIOLOGY EXPLAINS
These are written in an order that I recommend using. It’s based on biology, not just on some weirdly specific preference of mine.
Your neocortex, the logical problem-solving part of the brain, “is offline” when actively distressed. Leaving behind, the limbic system and the brain stem to control your reactions to stress.
The limbic system is the emotional center of the brain. So, depending on your emotional state in distress, this will take the lead. Anger, fear, panic, sadness, paranoia, or whatever the emotion will be “in control”.
Making emotional decisions often leads to unnecessary fights and other consequences. You’re probably remembering some now.
Lastly, your brain stem has a say in this distress. You’ll know when it reacts if you experience physiological symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, flushed face, and other traditional fight or flight responses.
Without the neocortex, you have the same ability to make healthy decisions as a highly intoxicated individual. Have you ever tried to reason with someone who’s drunk? Spoiler alert if not, it’s not going to go far.
The techniques below are simple. They have to be when we are distressed or in crisis. The first two are designed to regain the neocortex functioning and reverse physiological effects.
The last one is to soothe additional emotions and “store” what is distress in you.
I recommend doing all three.
5,4,3,2,1 Grounding Technique
With this, you shift through all five senses. The order doesn’t matter at all. You simply name things you can experience at the moment within the environment you’re in. Or, if you’re somewhere with limited sensory experiences, you can name things you enjoy.
Name the following either aloud or in your head:
Five things you can see
Four things you can hear
Three things you can feel
Two things you can smell
One thing you can taste
Do this slowly and repeat a second time if needed!
Box Breathing
Called box breathing for the 4×4 counts, this simple exercise can reverse physiological stress responses.
Start by EXHALING four counts
Then HOLD four counts
Next INHALE four counts
Lastly HOLD four counts
Repeat this at least four times (10x is ideal)
Need a little more guidance? Check out the video below and I will walk you through it!
Calm Place Meditation
Although powerful, this one can be challenging to do without a traditional guided audio.
Close your eyes, settle comfortably into a chair, and take a few breathes. Picture a setting of any kind which represents peace. As you focus on it , walk through each of the senses within the environment. Provide the space with a name. Return to it as needed when distress arises.
Follow the link for a YouTube audio guided meditation of this skill. TRY THIS ONE!
Thank you for taking the time to learn new skills to improve life quality today and everyday! If you found this helpful, please share or comment your experience! You never know who is in need of the skill and information.
