Stress Happens—Now What?
Healthy, Realistic Ways to Handle Life’s Chaos and Avoid Stress Eating
Life comes at you fast, right? No matter how hard you try to prepare, deadlines pile up, unexpected bills hit, and somehow your laundry still isn’t done. The bottom line is that stress is a part of life, but how you handle it makes all the difference.
Instead of letting it take over, let’s talk about real, healthy ways to manage stress that don’t involve doomscrolling or eating a whole pizza (me and the staff at Papa John’s are on a first-name basis now). From small mindset shifts to practical habits, you’ll learn how to stay calm, focused, and in control, even when life feels overwhelming. Ready to stress less and live more? Follow these tips.
Check-In With Yourself: Make Sure You’re Okay
This may sound a little weird, but checking in with yourself is extremely important. Why? Well, if you don’t do it, does anybody else check on you? And I don’t mean the typical “How’s your day?”—I’m talking about someone truly checking on you and your mental health; someone who’s not afraid to ask you those tough questions. If you don’t have that, then you have to check-in with yourself, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
When stress hits, whether it’s a tough day at work or a text that instantly puts you in a bad mood, pausing before reacting can help. Instead of sending that super long response text or going straight into panic mode, taking a deep breath signals your body to calm down and reset. Think of it like hitting the “refresh” button on your brain. It won’t make stress disappear, but it’ll help you handle it in a way that won’t leave you drained or overwhelmed.
Take a Step Back: Distance Yourself
Sometimes, you just need to take a step back from your stress. When I catch myself spiraling over something I’ve heard, seen, or read, I have to remind myself and actually say out loud, “Girl, calm down, this is not your life or your reality.” Especially with the things I see on social media. It helps to sift your focus on something else.
Now, this doesn’t mean go around pretending like you live in a problem-free universe or flat-out ignoring your problems and bottling up emotions; That never ends well. Instead, it’s about giving yourself a mental break so stress doesn’t feel all-consuming. That might mean stepping away from work for a quick walk, listening to your favorite music, or even taking a break from scrolling.
There have been times when I would hop on social media and see “friends” going on all these lavish vacations and just seeming to live life to the fullest. And don’t get me wrong—I truly do love seeing people happy and enjoying themselves, but seeing those posts did make me compare myself to those friends and question where I was going wrong in life because I wasn’t going on trips as often as they were. In that moment, I knew I needed to “unplug” from time to time to prevent that from happening again. Protect your mental health at all costs.
Accept the Stress: No Need in Running From It
This very tip is one that has removed so much stress from my daily life. Stress happens. It’s just part of life, like taxes, awkward small talk, and that one friend who never texts back. Trying to fight stress or pretend it’s not there won’t make it disappear—in fact, it might make it worse.
What’s the secret?
Accept that stress is going to show up sometimes. But also understand that accepting stress doesn’t mean giving up! It just means you have to stop wasting energy fighting it and instead focus on handling it in a healthier way. Think of it like this: If you know stress is going to be a part of life, you can be prepared for it instead of being caught off guard.
Engage in Healthy Habits: Show Your Body a Little Extra Love
Sometimes taking care of what’s been nagging on your brain means taking care of your body first. Think of it like this: If your body is running on junk food, zero movement, and stress-fueled coffee and energy drink binges, it's going to struggle when life throws curveballs.
I always tell my clients (and remind myself) that simple habits go a long way. Take care of your body and it will take care of the stress. Try these tips:
Eat a Healthy Diet: The American Psychological Association says filling your plate with colorful fruits and veggies can actually help your body cope better with stress.
Exercise: Even a quick walk helps burn off stress.
Ease up on the happy hour drinks: Alcohol not only lowers your inhibitions but can mess with your ability to handle stress. You may feel less stressed in the moment, but it doesn’t erase the stress.
Yoga: Yoga can loosen up all that tension you didn’t even realize you were holding.
I’m not here to tell you to change your entire lifestyle overnight, but these changes helped me. Just start small; Do something active that you actually enjoy or eat one extra serving of veggies during a meal.
At the end of the day, stress is just part of life; there’s no magic switch to turn it off. But how you handle it—that’s completely in your control. And remember, you don’t have to be perfect at this! Even small changes like moving your body more or giving yourself a mental break can make a big difference. So take a deep breath, unclench your jaw, and remind yourself, you’ve got this!
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