10 Simple Self-Care Techniques to Reduce Stress and Emotional Overwhelm

These days I find that clients in my New York City psychotherapy private practice are more stressed out and emotionally overwhelmed than I have seen in over 25 years of being a therapist.

Why are people so stressed out and emotionally overwhelmed these days? 

Stress and Emotional Overwhelm

The answer to this question varies for each individual but, in general, many people are feeling exceptionally overwhelmed and stressed out due to the demands of modern living.

The Demands of Modern Living

Modern living forces the human brain to process unprecedented amounts of information, deal with economic unpredictability and collective anxiety, and in many cases people are doing all of this without adequate emotional support.

Societal changes have fundamentally altered how our nervous system functions on a daily basis.  

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), there are several compounding factors that drive widespread stress and mental exhaustion including:

Information Overload and the "Always On" Culture

• Constant Cortisol Spikes: Smartphones and the 24/7 news cycle stream real time global conflicts, economic worries and national division into our lives.

• Vanishing Boundaries: The rise of remote and hybrid work means people never feel fully able to disconnect. This leaves many workers feeling chronically stressed by an inability to log off their phones or computers.

• Emerging Technology Anxiety: Rapid advancements in AI and automated technology have triggered widespread job insecurity and cognitive fatigue, particularly among young adults.

The Crisis of Disconnection

• Deepening Loneliness: The APA report highlights that over half of adults face daily loneliness which severely weakens their ability to bounce back from stress (see my article: Overcoming Loneliness and Social Isolation).

Stress and Emotional Overwhelm

• Lacking Shared Loads: Humans naturally co-regulate stress through close relationships. Without a supportive community, small daily tasks begin to feel like insurmountable obstacles.

• Societal Division: Pervasive social and political discord causes individuals to withdraw, cancel plans and feel increasingly isolated from those around them (see my article: How to Deal With Political Differences Among Your Loved Ones).

Unrelenting Financial and Personal Strain

• The Weight of Inflation: Constant unpredictability regarding the baseline prices of groceries, rent and healthcare act as a persistent, low-grade threat to our fundamental sense of safety.

Stress and Emotional Overwhelm

• Career Anxiety: Roughly 40% of workers actively worry about long-term job security. This has transformed the modern workplace into a primary source of stress and burnout.

Family Stressors and Mental Load

• Family Stressors and Mental Load: Trying to cope with the tasks of managing a healthy relationship and taking care of children are additional stressors (see my article:Sharing the Mental Load in Your Relationship).

What Are 10 Simple Self-Care Techniques to Reduce Stress and Emotional Overwhelm?

When emotional overwhelm and stress take over, the brain struggles to process complex information, which makes simple physical and sensory shifts the most effective ways to reset.

I find that individual clients vary in terms of self-care techniques. Some naturally gravitate to certain practices over others, so you can see which ones work for you.

Here are some techniques that can help you:

Body Based Grounding Techniques

• The 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Check: Name five things that you see, four things you can physically feel, three things you hear, two things you smell and one thing you can taste to pull your mind out of a stress loop.

Stress Management Techniques

• Square Breathing: Inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and hold for four seconds to calm down and lower your heart rate (see my article: What is Square Breathing?).

• Temperature Shift: Splash cold water on your face which physically slows down your racing nervous system.

Micro-Breaks and Environmental Shifts

• The Two-Minute Screen Reset: Close your eyes or look out the window at a distant object for two full minutes to give your brain a break from digital overstimulation.

• Change the Scenery: Step into a different room or walk outside for five minutes so that a swift change in environment can break anxious repetitive thoughts.

• The Sensory Reduction Minute: Sit in a quiet dark room or put on noise-cancelling headphones to eliminate clutter when your mind feels full. 

Stress Management Techniques

• Go Out in Nature: Take a walk, even if it's for five minutes, in a nearby park to reset your body and mind (see my article: Walking in Nature to Improve Your Mood).

Low-Effort Daily Maintenance: 

• The One-Thing Priority: Pick one task to focus on today and give yourself permission to let everything else wait.

• The Hydration Pause: Practice this quick mindfulness technique: Drink a full glass of water slowly while focusing on the physical sensation of swallowing to anchor yourself in the present moment.

• Brain Dumping: Write down every thought, worry or task for three minutes to get the mental clutter out of your head (see my articles: Tips to Cope With Chronic Worrying and Journal Writing to Relieve Stress and Anxiety).

Get Help in Therapy

If you have constant stress and worry and these simple self-care techniques aren't working for you, you could benefit from working with a licensed mental health professional who helps clients to cope with stress and anxiety-related issues.

Get Help in Therapy

Instead of struggling on your own, seek help from a skilled psychotherapist so you can live a more fulfilling life.

About Me

I am a licensed New York psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT Couples Therapist, IFS/Parts Work, Somatic Experiencing and Certified Sex Therapist.

I have helped many individual adults and couples to overcome stress, emotional overwhelm and trauma.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

Before setting up a first appointment, I provide a free 10-15 phone call.

To set up an appointment, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

Also See My Articles:

Taking Out Time For Self Care 

What is Toxic Stress? 

Managing Your Emotions During Stressful Times 

Coping With a Difficult Boss 

Balancing Your Personal Life and Your Career 

Trauma Therapy: Using Grounding Techniques Between Psychotherapy Sessions

In my last article, Trauma Therapy: Using the Container Exercise Between Therapy Sessions, I discussed the importance of the preparation phase of trauma therapy and how the container exercise can help with emotional containment and coping with difficult emotions between psychotherapy sessions or at the end of a psychotherapy session.  In this article, I'm continuing to focus on grounding techniques.

Trauma Therapy: Using Grounding Techniques Between Psychotherapy Sessions

What is Grounding?
Just like the container exercise that I mentioned in my last article, grounding is a stress management technique to help you calm down and be in the present moment.

Grounding is especially helpful when you're in trauma therapy.  It helps you to transition from the memories you're working on in therapy to the present moment so that you're not overwhelmed by thoughts, feelings, images, body sensations or other uncomfortable things that might come up when you process traumatic memories in therapy.

Aside from helping you between or at the end trauma therapy sessions, ground techniques can also help you to calm down and cope when you're generally under stress or anxiety.

How Do You Know If You're Not Emotionally Grounded?
People who have experienced longstanding psychological trauma often become "accustomed" to living with high intensity anxiety and this feels "normal" to many of them.

As a result, they might not know when they're not emotionally grounded and might only see the difference once they've experienced what it's like to feel emotionally grounded or calm.

Signs of Possibly Not Being Emotionally Grounded:
Some of the following signs might be signs that you're not emotionally grounded, especially if you experience many of these symptoms:

• Experiencing anxiety and worry most of the time
• Causing or participating in emotional drama much of the time
• Being spaced out (or dissociated) much of the time
• Getting easily distracted often
• Ruminating obsessively 
• Obsessing frequently about how you look or what others think about you
• Having frequent problems falling or staying asleep
• Having chronic pain
• Having inflammation in your body
• Having poor circulation
• Feeling fatigued most of the time

The Benefits of Being Emotionally Grounded
Generally speaking, being emotionally grounded can have the following potential benefits:

• Getting better sleep
• Reducing anxiety and worry
• Improving concentration and focus
• Reducing rumination
• Reducing fears about your image and what others think of you
• Reducing chronic pain
• Reducing inflammation in your body
• Improving circulation
• Reducing fatigue

Grounding Exercises
There are many types of grounding exercises.  I'll mention an easy one, the body scan, in this article that you can practice.  This grounding exercise is often used in trauma therapy, and it can also be beneficial any time you feel the need to calm yourself.

Trauma Therapy: Using Grounding Techniques Between Psychotherapy Sessions

In order for grounding exercises to have a beneficial effect, you need to practice grounding regularly.

If you're experiencing unresolved psychological trauma, it's best to see a trauma-informed psychotherapist before you try anything new.

Before starting any grounding exercises, consult with your psychotherapist.  This particular grounding exercise is generally good for most people, but there might be a particular reason why you shouldn't do it, so speak to your psychotherapist first.

The Body Scan:  

• Sitting up with your feet flat on the floor, start by taking a few deep breaths and, if it feels comfortable for you, close your eyes.  If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe closing your eyes, pick a spot on the floor to focus on so your attention doesn't wander.

• Paying attention to your feet, which are placed flat on the floor, notice how the floor supports the weight of your body.  If it feels comfortable for you, you can imagine that there are vines growing from the soles of your feet which connect to the earth so you feel yourself securely rooted.  If that feels uncomfortable, stay focused on how the floor and the earth below the floor support your feet.  

• Focusing on the crown of your head, move your attention slowly through your body and notice where you're holding onto tension in your body.  Don't forget your eyes, which hold a lot of tension.  Allow the muscles in your eyes to relax instead of holding them fixed (this is easier to do if your eyes are closed or semi-closed).  Also, pay attention to the tension you hold in your jaw and tongue.  Allow your jaw to relax and your tongue to settle at the bottom of your mouth.  Then, proceed throughout the rest of your body.  Wherever you sense tension, picture the tension melting away or going through your limbs and out of your body.  

• Take a few moments to notice and enjoy your relaxed state.

• Before opening your eyes, picture the room that you're in with your mind's eye and be aware of the chair or couch where you're sitting.  

• Opening your eyes gently, take a look around the room and orient yourself to your surroundings.  Continue to feel your feet planted on the ground for a few moments before you transition to doing something else.

If this exercise feels uncomfortable to you in any way, stop doing it until you can talk about it or practice doing it with your psychotherapist.  As I mentioned earlier, it's always best to consult with your psychotherapist before you begin any form of grounding exercise.

Also see my articles:
Coping Strategies in Mind-Body Oriented Psychotherapy
Wellness: Safe Place Meditation
Learning to Relax: Square Breathing

Conclusion
Using grounding techniques, like the body scan, can help to calm you.

If you're struggling with unresolved trauma, it's best to work with a trauma-informed psychotherapist to resolve your trauma.

Generally, the body scan grounding exercise is safe for most people, but speak to your therapist before beginning any grounding exercises.

Getting Help in Therapy
Unresolved trauma doesn't resolve on its own.  It can be debilitating on an emotional and physical level.  We also know now that it can have intergenerational effects and affect your children and generations that follow, so it's important to get help (see my article: Psychotherapy and Transgenerational Trauma).

Rather than struggling on your own, you could benefit from getting help from a licensed mental health professional who specializes in helping clients to overcome trauma (see my articles: The Benefits of Psychotherapy and How to Choose a Psychotherapist).

After you have worked through your trauma, you'll have a chance to live a more fulfilling life.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist (see my article: The Therapeutic Benefits of Integrative Psychotherapy).

I specialize in helping individual adults and couples to overcome unresolved trauma.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.