When Stress Becomes Overwhelming, Try This

Many of us go through stressful times in our lives. However, it can become overwhelming at points, leading us to anxiety, restlessness, and despair. 

If you find yourself in a position like this, what should you do? Well, you’re about to find out. We take a look at some of the strategies you can use when stress becomes overwhelming to prevent you from falling into a bottomless pit. Here’s everything you need to know. 

Take A Break

One quick option is to take a break from whatever you are doing. The brain isn’t like a computer in the sense that it can just continue to chew its way through a problem indefinitely. Instead, it needs time away from stressful situations to consolidate and come up with solutions. 

For example, if you have a project at work that seems impossible, try leaving it alone for an afternoon and doing something else. When you go back in the evening or the next day, you’ll usually find you’ve figured part of it out. 

You can also take shorter comfort breaks during the day. These are ideal when you want to rest your head and move on from a difficult customer, client, or situation.

Go Outside

Related to this, you might also want to go outside for a while. Being in nature and taking in the air can be an excellent way to rebalance yourself. 

If you can, go to a forest or unspoiled nature spot and soak in the atmosphere. Let the tension flow out of your body and avoid focusing on the issue. Remind yourself that you’re more likely to solve problems if you can figure them out while you are away from your work. 

Get Help

Of course, you don’t have to deal with stress alone. You can also go and get help from other people to help you manage the situation. 

Sometimes, this part is as easy as asking a work colleague whether they can take over a piece of work for you in exchange for something else. Other times, you might have to hire a professional to provide you with assistance. 

For instance, many people every month find themselves on the receiving end of sexual assault charges. Individuals in this position understandably feel stressed and anxious.

Going to a sexual assault lawyer can help deal with this stress and help them feel more confident. Professionals can often provide a different perspective.

Another approach is to try deep breathing, one of the most powerful and ancient techniques to reduce stress and anxiety. 

Deep breathing involves inhaling slowly and allowing the diaphragm to expand so that the stomach pushes out instead of the chest heaving upwards. This breathing action is calming for many people and puts us back in our natural rhythm. 

Children naturally breathe into their stomachs. It is only when we are older and anxiety starts to build that it moves upwards to the chest. 

Try breathing in for six seconds, and then exhaling for another six seconds. After about a minute, you should notice a fall in your stress levels.