Stress Management
Learning to manage stress is an essential component to working or studying well, being creative, feeling vital, and engaging and connecting with others. Therapy can help develop greater coping skills to manage inevitable life stress, identify patterns of behavior that increase it, explore current stressors and how to best manage them, and provide a space to consider how to develop a life of balance and joy.
Some stress is inevitable, but chronic stress can feel endemic to the Bay Area. Unfortunately, the pressure to perform, compete, and deliver often erodes our sense of well-being and self-confidence. When we are on high alert chronically, our levels of stress can lead to serious health problems. Stress management skills increases your ability to live a healthier, more optimal and rewarding life.
Therapeutic Approach:
Comprehensive Assessment: Together, we identify the external and internal stressors impacting your life, including responsibilities, work and personal relationships, changes in life experiences, health, daily habits, loss, levels of support and self care, history of trauma, and negative or positive self talk.
Coping Skills: Skills are essential in increasing your capacity to manage life’s challenges, allowing you to develop greater capacity to thrive while simultaneously managing more. Relaxation skills, positive self talk, increased sense of social support, and expanding ways to care for yourself are all integrated into our work together.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness is an essential stress management skill. As either an adjunct to meditation or something that stands alone, mindfulness allows up to stay in the present, rather than remaining in the regret or frustration of the past, or anxiety about the future.
Talk Therapy: Openly talking through the challenges in your life is the foundation to gaining insight, clarity, and a greater sense of calm and competency for life’s juggling act. Creating a space to look at your life allows you to make new insights and choices rather than continuing in the same behaviors and patterns.
When stress becomes problematic, it can lead to more complex issues also helped through therapy:
- Mild to severe anxiety that significantly impacts one’s ability to perform at potential in work, relationships, and social domains
- A feeling of “panic” accompanied by pressure in chest or heart palpitations not related to a health issue; hyperventilating; a feeling of being outside oneself or having the walls close in
- Symptoms of sadness and depression, including feeling down more often than not, irritability, and loss of motivation and energy
- Anger & Irritability: When overwhelmed with stress, we can lash out at others—particularly family—exacerbating already challenging times.
- Difficulties falling asleep or maintaining quality sleep. Conversely, difficulties with sleep can also be a factor in developing anxiety or depression.
- Relationship Discord: Our loved ones, despite our best intentions, often suffer most when stress overwhelms us. After holding ourselves in at work, we can unleash our frustration on them and thus multiply our troubles–creating a difficult home life as well as managing difficulties at work or school.