Staying Calm During Stress

Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed, pressured, or unable to cope with what is being demanded of you. Every person experiences stress — it is a normal response to challenges. What matters is how you respond. Responding to stress with calm, deliberate actions protects your thinking, your relationships, and your ability to solve problems.

Recognizing stress signals

• Physical signals: racing heart, tight chest, shallow breathing, stomachache, tense muscles.
• Emotional signals: feeling irritable, overwhelmed, panicked, tearful, or like you want to shut down.
• Behavioral signals: snapping at others, giving up, avoiding the stressor, freezing and doing nothing.

Calming strategies that work

• Box breathing — breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4.
• 5-4-3-2-1 grounding — name 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you feel, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. This brings attention back to the present.
• Body scan — notice where tension is held in your body and deliberately relax those muscles.
• Move your body — a short walk, some jumping jacks, or stretching releases stress hormones.
• Name the stress — say or write what is stressing you. Naming it reduces its intensity.

After calming — address the cause

• Calming strategies manage the feeling of stress, but they do not solve the problem that caused it.
• After you feel calmer, identify the cause and take one small step toward addressing it.