Stress—it’s the inescapable third wheel to every single aspect of your life. Are you ready to learn how to get a step ahead of stress and knock out its impact with kindness? We’re digging deep into the small (and big) things that can cause a spike in stress or trip you up when you’re not expecting it.

Join us as we explore the small signs of big stress and the power of compassion to overcome it. Learn about stress triggers and helpful tips to manage stress with support.

Before you begin, remember that our professionals are always here to help

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Do these stress triggers sound familiar?

Stress can be a sneaky stealer of motivation, time, and energy. Brace yourself and let’s dive into some of the biggest influences on your stress level. We’re talking about what these stressy situations feel like and how you might notice their impact in your life below.

You’re constantly operating at maximum capacity

But it’s no big deal, right? You’re used to it, there’s no way around it, you thrive on chaos—or at least, this is what you’ve been telling yourself to make it feel manageable. The truth is that even if you do feel like you’re performing best under pressure, it takes a toll on you if that mode becomes your default.

You feel like you have to pretend you’re doing well, even when you’re not

The price of letting your facade falter feels too high sometimes when you build it all up in your head. If you worry that you won’t be seen as capable if you let others know that you’re feeling stressed, you may be driven to cover up the desire for support.

You may feel that you have to have it all figured out, and be coping well, in order for anyone to take you seriously. The pressure to get it all sorted on your own can become a stressor on top of everything else you’re already working through.

You don’t get enough sleep or rest

Running on a sleep deficit can be like walking through soup! Your body and brain are both designed to operate best when given a rest and reset every day. Not getting enough sleep can have you running on empty (or worse, into the negative) when you try to get through the simplest of tasks.

When stress is high, your need for rest is often high as well. But this is usually the time when you’re less likely to get the rest you need to function well.

You are living with trauma that you can’t work through

Big or small stressors may tip the scales further than you expect when you’re also carrying the pain of the past. Trauma takes up a lot of space, and it affects your capacity for handling other things.

Stress may become a catalyst for triggers that you usually cope with or it may build on sensations and worries that are often manageable. Even when you are actively working through or healing that trauma, you may find yourself taking unexpected steps or slides backward as you try to manage the here and now of life alongside your past.

Why does compassion matter when managing stress?

If you’re trying to beat stress with silence and pep talks that add pressure, how’s it going? You’re likely finding yourself more stressed, less motivated, and overall just super done with this merry-go-round with no idea how to get off. Stress, and trying to power through it, can certainly take all your fight from you as well as your softness. It’s difficult to be vulnerable and kind when you’re barely making it through your to-do list after all.

Compassion in stressful situations can make all the difference. It can help lower your physical stress response by reducing cortisol levels, lowering your blood pressure, and reducing your mental strain by allowing you some flexibility in your self-talk and schedule. Compassion and self-kindness can help you to manage stress with support—either your own or that of a mental health therapist and mental health crisis help near you.

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How to respond to stress with self-kindness

We usually love an approach of a few thoughtful tips with notes and more information when we’re offering support to help you help yourself on a daily basis. But when it comes to stress, no two people are alike. So instead, we want to cast a broader net, and we’ve written you a list of 20 things to try to invite kindness into your hectic life. They’re short and sweet in order to invite you to make them your own.

Make a to-do list of only things you’ve already done, then check them off!
Go for a walk.
Google a favorite food, and then try a new way to prepare it.
Invite a friend for a sleepover.
Delegate one task.
Have a freeze-dance party with your favorite playlist.
Go outside.
Procrastinate one thing that can definitely wait.
Take a leap of faith.
Smile at a stranger.
Write yourself an emergency stress note every morning for a week, read it when you need it.
Spend a whole evening in bed just because.
Give yourself (and someone else) a compliment.
Pay attention to your breathing.
Move your body in a way that feels good.
For every criticism, give yourself 2 compliments.
Self-soothe.
Make your “what if” work for you- what if it goes well?
Set a 5-minute timer. Then, do something just for you until it goes off.
Go for coffee with someone you love.

BONUS: Read a book, watch a show or listen to music just because it makes you feel good. No additional value required.

While none of these small self-kindness tools will solve your stress or erase your struggles, every one of them has the power to make a difference in your day. And sometimes, that’s enough.

If you find yourself living a life that’s more fast lane than feeling, we’re here for you. Online therapy with the best counseling and stress management center can be an ideal solution to a stressful life by offering you meaningful ways to manage stress with support without adding more commutes and places to be in a day.

You can reduce stress triggers and lean into a richer or more vibrant way of being today. Luna Joy believes in you.

The Tell-Tale Signs of Stress—and How to Deal