How to stay mentally healthy during stressful times

When the headlines are scary, these strategies may help.

If watching the recent news unfold has left you lying awake at night, you’re not alone. On average, 2 in 3 adults in the U.S. say they are sleeping more or less than they wanted to since the pandemic started, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). 

“Humans like control and like being in charge,” says licensed clinical health psychologist Dr. Robyn Pashby, PhD, founder of DC Health Psychology, a counseling 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, employing self-care techniques that make you feel grounded and connected can protect your mental health in spite of the current climate. 

If anxiety is seriously impacting your daily life (i.e., you wake up not wanting to get out of bed), professional mental health support might be helpful. Otherwise, these coping strategies can help you mind your mental health:

Expert tips for staying mentally healthy

1. Prioritize sleep hygiene

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, Dr. Pashby explains. The thing is, poor sleep doesn’t just leave you with droopy eyelids—it can contribute to mood dips and heightened anxiety. What’s more, skipping ZZZs can mess with your insulin sensitivity and increase 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 shutting your laptop and stowing your phone out of reach, turning off the news, and taking a bath or stretching.
• Get into bed at the same time every night. Not sleepy? Only then should you get out of bed and read a book or magazine until you begin to feel tired. To that point: Swiping through 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 metabolize half of the caffeine you’ve consumed. So if you drink a cup of coffee at 3 p.m., you may still feel remnants of the buzz around 9 p.m.
• Opt for nonalcoholic 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 the duration and quality of sleep.
• Get out of bed at the same time every day. Even if you didn’t sleep too well the night before, maintaining a consistent wake-up time helps your body develop and stick to a natural sleep schedule.

2. Maintain your regular routines

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 typical schedule, i.e., eating lunch at the same time every day rather than grazing all day when you’re working from home, can help you feel more in control and rein in hormonal fluctuations, Dr. Pashby says. 

3. Amp up your physical activity

Exercise can help reduce stress—one reason why it’s smart to follow the CDC’s guidelines and get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 weekly minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity every week. Because spending 20 to 30 minutes out in nature may help lower cortisol levels, taking your exercise outside can deliver a double-whammy. 

4. Reframe self talk

Stressors can trigger negative thoughts (i.e., “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 (i.e., “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.”). 

It can also be helpful to give yourself a personalized reality check when negative thoughts around food and eating arise. If you’ve noticed yourself thinking “There’s no way I can stay on track when I’m cooped up at home,” or “I might as well eat anything, who knows when this will end!", imagine what you would say to a friend or a fellow WeightWatchers® member if they said this to you. Use that response to help you form a new thought that’s more likely to keep you on track.

5. Avoid emotional isolation

Interacting with other people—whether it’s a phone call, video chat, or text message—can ease the symptoms of stress and to help you cope, according to a small 2015 study of 77 healthy adults published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science. Can’t fight the urge to hole up by yourself? Think of others: Reaching out to neighbors or elderly friends with an offer to prepare a meal, pick up a prescription, or walk a dog can help you feel more in control—and helpful, Dr. Pashby says. Goodbye, stress! 

6. Sidestep stress-eating

While digging into a pint of ice cream or another treat that’s high in fat and sugar 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 chips 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, calling a friend, going for a walk, or doing another non-eating activity may help you feel even better than a pint-sized, sugar-laden pick-me-up.

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Jessica DiGiacinto is an associate editor at WW. A health and wellness writer and editor based out of New York, she’s contributed to Popsugar, Bulletproof 360, and Galvanized Media, among other media outlets.    

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This article was reviewed for accuracy in July 2021 by Megan Schreier, MPH, director of science translation at WW. The WW Science Team is a dedicated group of experts who ensure all our solutions are rooted in the best possible research.