Dear human, thank you for sharing and reaching out. You’ve done the right thing by reaching out for help and have taken an important step towards your mental health. I can understand that it’s not easy to be in your position. Therapy can most definitely help you manage stress and get a better grip on your life. It is a collaborative process wherein the therapist and you can together figure out ways of coping with this.
In the meanwhile, you can try the following techniques to manage stress:
1. Journaling- take our dedicated time to address your thoughts and worries. You can write about how you feel or even paint or doodle. Remember, no one has to see this journal except for you, so allow yourself to express freely.
2. Identifying triggers- try and understand what it is that triggers your stress or overthinking. By gaining awareness of these factors, you will have better control over them and their effect on you.
3. Take a break- taking a break from work and duties is as important, take out time for yourself in the day and do something you enjoy, look after yourself. Engage yourself in any hobbies.
4. Mediation- you can use apps and podcasts for guided meditation. Meditation can help you relax your mind and increase focus and concentration.
Relaxation techniques- in moments when you feel incredibly stressed, (a) remind yourself to breathe deeply and slowly, notice and focus on your breathing, (b) Become mindful of your surroundings, practice the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, name five things in your environment that you can see, four things that you can hear, three things that you can touch, two things that you can smell and one thing you can taste
5. Setting work boundaries- In current times it has become increasingly important to give work only a stipulated amount of time and not let it blend in with the rest of our day and life. Be sure that you’re fixing a schedule and taking on only that much work that you and your mind can take.
6. Practice saying “No”- further, it’s important to know your own boundaries and to give yourself the freedom to say “‘no” whenever necessary.
Take care.
Next Steps
Consult a psychologist or therapist to address your concerns and together figure a beneficial way to manage them.
Hope this helps :) Take care!