How Can I Cope When I Am Overwhelmed? Seven Strategies To Move On Through Stress

Stress is a common part of the human experience, and it isn’t always a bad thing. In small amounts, stress can motivate us to perform certain tasks—helping us meet an important deadline or stay on top of assignments for school or work. However, when stress becomes persistent or overwhelming, it can have a range of negative effects on mental and physical health;: chronic stress can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep problems, and more. 

This can raise a natural question: “What can I do when I am feeling overwhelmed?”? There are a variety of strategies you can implement to help you cope with stress and find relief, and we’ll detail a few of them here. 

Seven mental health strategies to cope with stress and anxiety

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider trying some of the strategies below to help you cope. Different approaches may work better for different people, so you may want to experiment with a few different options to help you find what works best for you.  

Get moving with physical activity

Physical activity is backed by research as an effective strategy for stress management. The benefits of physical activity can be both physical and mental, including improved sleep, decreased stress, and improved mental health. There are many numerous different ways to incorporate regular exercise into your life, and it is not a one-size-fits-all experience. 

You can take a brisk walk, do some gardening, dance around your kitchen home (or take at a dance class at the community center or gym), do yoga, ride your bike, take a kickboxing class, go for a jog, lift weights—or anything else that gets you moving number of other things. Oftentimes, the more enjoyable the activity is for you, the more likely you may be to do it consistently. By finding a few types of activity you enjoy, you may be able to create an exercise active routine that you like and want to maintain.

Get enough sleep

Not getting enough sleep can create a cycle of negative effects. Experiencing stress can contribute to poor sleep, and in turn, poor sleep can negatively impact your ability to manage stress. Taking time to focus on good sleep habits may help break this cycle and move you into a more positive headspace. Here are some actions you can take to try to improve your sleep quality and quantity:

• Avoid screen time using phones and electronic devices for at least an hour before bedtime. 
• Avoid caffeine in the afternoon. 
• Keep your bedroom cool and dark. 
• Keep your bedtime and wake time as consistent as possible. 

Making these changes may feel challenging at first, but research has shown that sleep can offer significant benefits to mental health.

Practice mindfulness 

Mindfulness is more than just a buzzword; research has shown that mindfulness can help with stress, anxiety, and depression. Mindfulness involves bringing your attention to the present moment, and there are many different unique ways to practice mindfulness. 

Included below are a few mindfulness exercises you can try when you feel overwhelmed: 

Deep breathing exercises

There are a number of these types of breathing toolswork practices, including the 4-7-8 method. With this exercise, you start by exhaling all the breath out of your lungs with a “whooshing” sound. Next, inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Finally, exhale your breath through your mouth for a count of eight. Repeat several times, for up to three minutes. These types of breathing exercises can help calm and focus the mind when overwhelming worries set in when you’re looking for a reset. 

Progressive muscle relaxation

This strategy has been shown to help relieve stress and manage anxiety. It involves tensing and relaxing your muscles, starting at one end of the body (for example, the toes), and then working your way up. By putting your attention on the muscles, you can shift from the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” response) to the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode). 

Meditation

Meditation can be thought of as a deliberate quieting of the mind, and there are various forms of meditation you can practice, including mindfulness meditation, which typically involves paying attention to the present moment and accepting your thoughts and feelings without judgment. If you are new to meditation, you may find it helpful to start with guided meditations. 

Consider your diet

While there isn’t a diet that can magically eliminate all your stress, there are some nutritional guidelines that, when followed, may offer some benefits for reducing and managing stress. For instance, foods high in vitamin B, foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium-rich foods, gut-healthy foods, and foods high in protein may all help combat stress by reducing cortisol levels. If you are considering making changes to your diet or need guidance, be sure to consult with your doctor licensed medical provider for support. 

Get outside to reduce stress and enhance mental health

When you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, spending time in nature outdoors may help;: a growing body of research has demonstrated that “visiting green spaces and being exposed to natural environments can reduce psychological stress “visiting green spaces and being exposed to natural environments can reduce psychological stress".”. There are many ways to tap into the benefits of nature: you can go for a short walk in a park, read a book outside, or even go for a hike. You can experiment with different approaches depending on how much time you have and the spaces available near you. 

Connect with others to cope with stress and anxiety

Instead of withdrawing when you’re feeling stressed, consider taking some time to connect with the ones you love, even if just for a phone call, quick lunch, or short walk. 

Therapy for strategies to move on through stress and anxiety

Finally, if you find that you are having trouble managing stress on your own, know that you are not alone, and additional professional help is available. A licensed therapist can draw on a variety of approaches to help you manage your stress in healthy ways and move forward. For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common form of psychotherapy used to treat anxiety and stress-related disorders., and this approach CBT can help build resilience to stress by offering coping skills and training the mind to think in more constructive ways. 

Strategies to move on through stress with online therapy

Carving out time to travel to in-person appointments for therapy can be a barrier for many people when it comes to seeking therapy, especially if they are already feeling overwhelmed by other aspects of lifestress and worry. 

Benefits of online therapy

For those with busy schedules, trying to add one more commitment on top of everything else can feel like a tall order. In these cases, online therapy may be feel like a more convenient option, as it allows you people to meet with a licensed therapist without the extra time and hassle of a commute. 

Plus, research has demonstrated that online therapy, such as online CBT, can be effective in reducing levels of stress.