How do I stop from stressing so much?

Hi there!

I wanted to thank you for reaching out for support through BetterHelp today. It takes a lot of courage to seek support, and you should be proud of yourself for doing so. I want to preface this by saying that I am answering this question based off of the information you have provided. If we were meeting for a therapy session, I would want to ask follow-up questions to gather clarification. Since I am only given the information above, I do apologize if I have misunderstood anything.

It certainly sounds like you are dealing with a lot of responsibility right now, and I can understand why you would be feeling stressed. I would definitely want to know more about being in a non-sexual marriage, and whether this is due to being unhappy in the marriage? I would also want to know more about the two elderly people you are taking care of and whether they live with you currently? Even without those details, I can imagine these things make your situation more stressful. It can be so hard to manage stress, especially if you are feeling it in different areas of your life. I would encourage you to try to take some time for yourself throughout the week for self-care. Self-care is so important in managing stress. This involves taking some time out of your schedule to do something you enjoy and/or something that fulfills YOU. It can help to even schedule this out on your calendar so that it is not optional - you can look at it like you would view an appointment (work, family, doctor's appointment, etc).

Do you have hobbies and/or interests that have fallen off due to being busy and stressed? Try to think about that and create a list of things you may want to do again. Some examples would be: going for a walk, cooking a nice meal, calling a loved one, dancing, watching a movie you like, praying, reading, meditating ... the list goes on and on! Then, try to block out some time to do these when possible. Even if it is just 15-30 minutes a day - try to find a time that is realistic for you! 

I would also encourage you to practice grounding techniques that can help decrease stress, such as deep breathing and guided meditations. You can find these online, especially on YouTube. These kinds of exercises can help with grounding back to center when you are feeling stressed. If you are feeling overwhelmed, one tip is to quickly name off what you can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell quickly - this is using your senses to ground you back to the present. This technique can be helpful when you are feeling overstimulated or stressed. I would also encourage you to try journaling as a coping mechanism. Journaling is a great way to get out your thoughts and feelings on paper (or on your phone). Try to just get it out without judging your own thoughts and feelings. This can be a great tool for stress management, and it can also help you form connections in your thoughts and feelings. I can imagine the body image issues also relate to your stress levels. I would encourage you to try practicing "positive affirmations" about yourself to help with increasing self- esteem. Write down 3-5 things that you like about yourself - whether it is personality or appearance based. This can help with focusing on the positive qualities about yourself. Exercise can also be a great stress management technique and a way to help improve self-esteem - I would check with your doctor if you need to about this.

I would also encourage you to consider therapy, either individual or group therapy! Therapy can be a great way to work on stress management and also improving self-worth.

I hope that this is helpful and I want to thank you again for reaching out today. I wish you the best on your journey!

Warm regards and best wishes!