3 Strategies for Reducing Stress & Managing Anxiety
If you have ever experienced symptoms of anxiety, you probably understand how overwhelming or unsettling those symptoms can be. Perhaps you notice racing thoughts or excessive worry, feeling like you cannot think about anything else. Maybe you picture the worst case scenario, imagining something that feels real and scary, even if it has not happened. Or you might notice physical symptoms, such as tightness in your chest, a stomachache or headache, or racing heartbeat.
Whatever your symptoms look like, sound like, or feel like, there are ways to move through them, allowing us to reorient to what is actually in our control, supporting an overall reduction in stress and anxiety.
1) Identify the emotion(s).
The age old therapy question, “How are you feeling?” reminds us that we are emotional beings. When you are tired, busy, and stretched too thin, one of the most helpful first steps to take is to pause, and explore how you are feeling. With the understanding that our emotions are information, we can navigate ways to use or respond to that information. Try on some feelings-based language:
I feel sad.
I feel frustrated and stressed out.
I feel anxious.
I feel depressed.
2) Practice coping skills.
Once you pause, notice, and identify the emotion, invite yourself to consider what your emotional needs are. In other words, what coping skills could help you manage and move through this heightened emotional state? If you are not sure where to start, begin by taking a deep breath, a cue to come back into your body when your mind has only been able to focus on stress. Effective coping can help you to return to a more regulated emotional state. Though this may not eliminate the stress or anxiety you are feeling, it can reduce the emotional weight so that you feel better equipped to problem-solve. Options for coping might include:
Going for a walk.
Listening to relaxing or soothing music.
Rewatching your favorite show.
Taking a nap.
Talking to a trusted friend or family member.
Practice mindfulness and deep breathing.
3) Offer yourself compassion.
Now that you have named your feeling and started to regulate, take a moment to remind yourself that you are a human being - an emotional being - and feeling overwhelmed by stress or anxiety is bound to happen sometimes. Invite yourself to practice self-compassion. This might sound like:
My emotions are trying to help me.
I am allowed to express how I am feeling.
I am doing my best to take care of my emotional needs.
I can ask for help.
A bit about me… My name is Marissa Gray, LCSW. I am the founder and owner of Gray Therapy Group, PLLC, located in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, and providing psychotherapy services for individuals in Chicago and the Chicagoland suburbs. I specialize in providing psychotherapy for women, with expertise in: managing anxiety, setting healthy boundaries, navigating stressors in parenting, supporting pregnant and postpartum moms in managing their perinatal mental health needs, and exploring ways to live a life rooted in your values. All sessions take place via Telehealth, providing clients with additional flexibility for therapy to work well in the logistics of their lives.
For more information about starting therapy with Gray Therapy Group or to request a free 10-minute consultation with Marissa Gray, LCSW email marissa@graytherapygroup.com or call 847.834.9189. You can also visit our website at www.graytherapygroup.com or our Instagram page at @graytherapygroup.
