How to stay mentally healthy during stressful times

If watching the recent news unfold has left you feeling on edge, you’re not alone.

“Humans like control and like being in charge,” says clinical health psychologist Dr. Robyn Pashby, PhD, founder of DC Health Psychology, a counselling practice in Bethesda, Maryland. “In times like these, stress is primarily driven by lack of control, lack of predictability, and fear of harm or danger to oneself or loved ones.”

Sound familiar? While it’s impossible to control much of what you see in the news, focusing on what you can control in your life could help things feel more manageable. For example, following a daily routine may create a sense of stability, and stepping up your self-care could help with stress relief.

Here are six things to try when you're feeling overwhelmed:

When things feel unpredictable and out of your control, your body may produce an abundance of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Over the course of weeks or months, a chronic surge can heighten your risk of depression, heart disease, and obesity.

However, sticking to a regular schedule, such as waking up, exercising and eating lunch at the same time each day can help you feel more in control and rein in hormonal fluctuations, Dr. Pashby says.

The average adult needs about seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but stress and anxiety can make it difficult to clock that much, let alone get good quality rest.

Poor sleep doesn’t just leave you with droopy eyelids; it can also contribute to mood dips and heightened anxiety. Additionally, skipping zzz's can mess with your insulin sensitivity in a way that increases your appetite, according to a review article in the journal Nature and Science of Sleep.

To outsmart stress and get ample shut-eye, try to:

• Develop a restful and relaxing bedtime ritual such as turning off the news, shutting your laptop and stowing your phone out of reach - reading, stretching or taking a bath.

• Get into bed at the same time every night. Not sleepy? Read a book or magazine until you begin to feel tired. Remember, scrolling on your phone isn’t the same as turning pages since the blue light that emanates from your device may suppress melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep/wake cycles, and keep your brain on high alert.

• Avoid excessive caffeine consumption. Typically, it takes four to six hours for your body to metabolise half of the caffeine you’ve consumed. So if you drink a cup of coffee at 3pm, you may still feel remnants of the buzz at around 9pm.

• Opt for non-alcoholic beverages. While alcoholic beverages may initially make you sleepy, having even one drink in the evening may affect your second and most important stage of sleep, leading to sleep disruptions throughout the night, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

• Expose yourself to bright sunlight first thing in the morning. Natural sunlight supports your natural circadian rhythm, or internal clock that regulates your sleep/wake cycles. Research suggests that exposure to daylight can also improve duration and quality of sleep.

Exercise can help reduce stress, one reason why it’s smart to follow guidelines from the NHS and get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 weekly minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity every week.

And, because spending 20 to 30 minutes out in nature may help lower cortisol levels, exercising outdoors can have double the benefits.

Stressors can trigger negative thoughts (like “I can’t handle this” or “I feel out of control”) that reinforce pessimistic beliefs and attitudes, according to the American Psychological Association.

To reverse the effects, Dr. Pashby recommends taking four to five deep breaths and then reframing those thoughts to feel less catastrophic, for instance: “I’m feeling very anxious about what is going on around me, but I am taking as many precautions as I can to keep me and my family safe”.

Interacting with other people can ease the symptoms of stress and help you cope, according to a small 2015 study of 77 healthy adults published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.

If you start feeling isolated, seeing friends, spending time with family or reaching out to your neighbours can help. Share your worries with them, do a fun activity together that will take your mind off things, or just have a good old natter.

While digging into a tub of ice cream may temporarily distract you from stress, indulging won’t stomp out the source of it, says public health consultant, certified health coach and yoga instructor Allison Rose, MHS.

Before you reach for a handful of crisps or a second serving of lunch, ask yourself: is your stomach really grumbling, or are feelings fueling your appetite? If you’re dealing with complicated emotions rather than actual hunger, try calling a friend, going for a walk or doing another non-eating activity that may help you feel better.

WW recommends that you see your GP if anxiety is affecting your daily life and/or causing you distress. Read more about anxiety on the NHS website.