Google searches for “how to reduce stress” are at an all-time high.
“I’m actually hearing from a lot of my own patients that they can’t remember the last time that they were this stressed and unable to see an end in sight,” says Dr. Neha Chaudhary, a double board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist.
“The spike in Google searches for how to manage stress isn’t just digital noise,” she says. “It’s a population-level cry for help.”
Chaudhary, who is the chief medical officer of Modern Health, says contributing factors include the economy, the political climate, climate change and feeling “bombarded by information with very little escape.”
People who feel overwhelmed by what’s happening nationally and globally still have to handle the daily responsibilities in their personal lives. Even positive life changes, like having a baby, getting a promotion or planning a wedding, can take a toll.
But Chaudhary says there is one positive takeaway from this trend: “The increase in searches today is also a sign that people might be more aware of their mental health, and are actively looking for ways to take control of it.”
Here are some practical ways that Chaudhary and Kathryn Smerling, a psychotherapist, suggest reducing stress and improving your overall mental health.
‘The best stress relief is the one you’ll actually do’
When it comes to lowering stress levels, both Chaudhary and Smerling suggest acknowledging what’s in your control and accepting what’s not. After all, “having stressors we can’t avoid is part of life. It’s never not going to be the case,” Chaudhary says.
The aspect you can best control is how you respond to and deal with the emotions you experience. In most cases, “if you make healthy choices, you will get through stress,” Smerling says.
Here are some coping mechanisms that Chaudhary and Smerling recommend:
- Taking a walk outside and getting some sun
- Practicing meditation and mindfulness
- Having face-to-face interactions with friends and family
- Putting together a playlist of your favorite songs and blasting it
- Calling a friend to vent or chat
- Focusing on developing healthy habits like exercising, getting better sleep or eating nutritious foods
- Working with a trained mental health professional
“The key is to find a way to manage stress that realistically fits into your life without adding more stress,” Chaudhary says. “The best stress relief is the one you’ll actually do. It doesn’t have to be perfect, [it] just has to be doable.”
Both experts suggest seeking help if the stress management tactics that usually work aren’t helping anymore. Struggling to get out of bed, having trouble functioning, feeling very depressed or avoiding social interactions, for example, can signs that you’d benefit from connecting with a therapist or another trained professional.
Sometimes your loved ones will notice the signs before you do, Smerling says.
“Start small, do what feels attainable, and make a habit out of it if you want to consistently bring your stress levels down,” Chaudhary says. “You can get very big mental health gains from very small, repeatable habits.”
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