You probably don't have to look too far to find daily stress triggers: a full inbox, parenting demands, caring for elderly parents, financial pressures, mounting work deadlines, what to cook for dinner, or a constant negative news cycle.
"Whatever it might be, our bodies are responding in very similar ways," says Dr Rangan Chatterjee, a UK-based GP, author and host of the wellbeing podcast Feel Better, Live More.
"Whether it is a real physical threat or the emotional, psychological stresses that are coming at us in the 21st century."
He says while stress is there for a reason, "we're not designed to be stressed all the time".
And while removing stress is hard, there are small interventions we can incorporate into our day to help reduce it.
What does stress do to our bodies?
Sydney/Gadigal psychologist and director of Mind Health, Bulent Ada, says when you perceive a threat (real or imagined), your body activates the fight-or-flight response.
"This triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline," Dr Ada says.
This can lead to:
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Rapid breathing
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sleep disturbances
- Digestive issues
He says it is important to also understand that there is good stress and bad.
"So, eustress (good stress) is what you feel before a job interview or a date, or maybe you've trained for a competition," Dr Ada says.
"It can feel challenging, but manageable, and it can even be exciting.
"But distress (bad stress), is when the pressure exceeds your capacity to cope."
Stress reduction starts with your morning routine
Dr Chatterjee says he has seen many patients who start the day being very near their "personal stress threshold", which means they have less capacity to deal with other daily stresses that occur.
"Let's say you went to bed late because you were watching [TV] and your alarm goes off on your phone at 6am, that is what I call micro-stress dose number one," he told ABC Radio National.
"Because it jolted you out of a deep sleep, you go, 'I'm still tired', you put snooze on, six minutes later, the alarm goes on again, micro-stress dose number two.
"Then whilst you're in bed, you open up your emails … there's three work emails you didn't do from yesterday; that's micro-stress dose three."
He recommends a morning routine incorporating "the three M's": mindfulness, movement, and mindset.
"All three can be done quite beautifully in quite a short period of time [as little as 5 minutes]."
Mindfulness could be meditation, breath work, or drinking a coffee in silence.
"Just paying attention to the coffee and not actually scrolling your emails or Instagram at the same time," he says.
"Movement can be some stretches or a few weights.
"And mindset is something to put you in a positive frame of mind, so it could be reading a little bit, journalling or [reciting] affirmations."?
In moments of stress try a 5-minute 'switch off'
Anna Ferguson is an author and qualified counsellor and somatic therapist specialising in nervous system regulation, based in Melbourne/Naarm.
She recommends a five-minute, three-step process to switch off stress mode by stimulating our vagus nerve.
"You can do this before big meetings, after a stressful conversation, when you get home from work or when you notice you're snapping at people," she says.
Step one is to move, shake your arms and legs, roll your shoulders, twist your spine gently, or march in one place.
"This completes the stress cycle and tells your nervous system the threat is over," she says.
Step two: breathe with a hum (2 minutes), breathe in slowly through your nose (4 counts), exhale slowly through your mouth with a gentle hum or sigh (6 counts). Repeat eight to ten times.
"The hum creates vibrations that directly stimulate your vagus nerve, the long exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system."
Step three is a grounding practice.
"Bring yourself fully into your body, place one hand on your heart, one on your belly, feel your feet on the floor."
"Notice your breath moving, sense the weight of your body.
"This anchors you in the present moment and signals, 'I'm here, I'm safe, I can rest now'."
Other small things to try
Dr Ada says research shows multiple brief interventions outperform occasional long sessions for managing daily stress.
"Micro-interventions are brief, targeted techniques, typically 30 seconds to five minutes, that interrupt the stress response in real time," he says.
"Rather than waiting for a yoga class or therapy session, you’re regulating throughout the day."
Breathing and relaxation:
- Box breathing: "Simply breathe in four counts, hold for four, out for four, hold for four, and you repeat that for about 60 to 90 seconds," Dr Ada says. "[This] activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is your body's calming mechanism."
- The physiological sigh: "Just two quick inhales through the nose [and] exhale through the mouth," says Dr Ada. "There's a lot of research on this, and it's a really quick way of being a circuit breaker."
- Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR): "Find a quiet, comfortable place to lie down or sit. Starting with your toes, tense the muscles as tightly as you can for 5-10 seconds and notice the feeling of tension. Then, completely release the tension, focusing on the feeling of relaxation for 15-20 seconds," Dr Ada says. "Move up your body, repeating the process with your calves, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, chest, arms, hands, shoulders, neck, and face."
Movement ideas from Dr Chatterjee:
- A 10-minute walk (if it's in nature, even better as being in nature reduces stress, adds Dr Ada).
- One minute of jumping jacks or any type of body movement
Mindfulness ideas from Dr Ada:
- Splash cold water on your face
- Smell something pleasant like coffee or essential oils
- Step away from screens
- For spiralling thoughts, try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique: "Name five things you can see, four things you can physically feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. The practice interrupts the worry loop by forcing your brain into the present moment."
When to seek help
If you're not getting relief from stress-reducing practices, it could be a signal that you're experiencing chronic stress (a consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time).
"That's when you start to maybe speak to your doctor, especially if you're worrying excessively," Dr Ada says.
"Particularly if you're not managing multiple areas of your life, you're not sleeping well, you're just overwhelmed all the time, tense, agitated, easily upset."
This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.
