Originally published in Wholistique
A Friendly Guide to Managing Stress and Anxiety While Supporting Sleep and Your Overall Wellbeing
Your boss calls you into his office. Ugh. What now? You’re already juggling a million things, and now he’s assigning another project with a timeline that’s laughably unrealistic. And then he has the nerve to say, “Don’t stress out about it. I know you can do it!” Well, great. Cue the stress spiral.
Sound familiar? I know it does. Because this exact kind of thing is happening to so many of us all the time. We’ve all been told we need to manage stress, but that advice often feels like just one more thing on the to-do list. The truth is, the key to actually doing something about stress and anxiety is understanding why it affects us the way it does—and why the tools we use to reduce it actually help. Let’s walk through this together so the next time life gets chaotic, you know exactly what you can do for your mental health and wellbeing.
Let’s start with what stress does inside your body. When we experience stress, our body kicks into fight or flight mode. This was super helpful when our biggest concern was running from a bear. In that moment, our body released cortisol (the stress hormone), which gave us a quick burst of energy to survive. But today, it’s not bears chasing us—it’s deadlines, bills, family responsibilities, and texts we forgot to answer. Our bodies don’t know the difference. They react the same way.
This stress response was only supposed to last for a short time. But now that our stress and anxiety are constant, so is our cortisol. Over time, that messes with everything. It slows digestion, weakens immunity, disrupts reproduction, and clouds our brain function. You might also notice weight gain, especially around your midsection, and blood sugar spikes. Not exactly ideal for your overall wellbeing.
And then there are the cravings. You know what I’m talking about—those intense urges for sugar, caffeine, and comfort food. That’s not just your emotions talking. Chemically, your body is begging for quick energy to fuel what it thinks is a life-or-death situation. So the chocolate and chips? Totally normal reaction. But chronic stress cravings keep you stuck in a cycle of ups and downs, physically and emotionally.
When this happens long enough, your adrenal glands—the ones pumping out all that cortisol—start to shut down. This is what’s known as adrenal fatigue. It’s not just about feeling tired. It affects metabolism, muscle building, hormone balance, and your overall health. And yep, it’s another reason why managing long-term stress is so important for your mental health.
But here’s the good news. We’re not helpless. There are easy things we can do right now to reduce stress and anxiety and support our body through it all.
Let’s start with the simplest: smiling and laughing. These release feel-good chemicals that literally tell your body to chill out. Hanging out with people you love helps too. I always say community builds immunity. Connection lowers cortisol and supports your immune system. Even a quick text to a friend you’ve been meaning to reach out to can help lower stress.
Another favorite of mine is a quick breathing exercise. Inhale for six seconds, hold for four, and exhale while humming for eight. It might sound silly, but that longer exhale tells your brain the danger has passed. Plus, counting and humming help bring your brain back to the present so you can actually think straight again. This one’s a go-to I share with almost every client.
If you like writing, journaling is also incredibly effective. Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper helps reduce the mental clutter that comes with stress and anxiety. It doesn’t have to be deep—just putting words on a page clears space in your brain. You can journal about your day, respond to a prompt, or write whatever comes to mind. The act of writing itself helps.
Prefer to move? Great. Movement is powerful for reducing stress and supporting your mental health. This doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon. A ten-minute walk, dancing in your kitchen, or a quick bodyweight workout can do wonders. Physical activity naturally lowers cortisol and helps avoid the crash that comes with adrenal fatigue.
Now let’s talk about cravings. You’re not a failure for wanting a cookie when things get tough. But keeping some nourishing snacks close by—like almonds, edamame, or carrots—can give your body what it actually needs. These options give you more stable energy and won’t send your blood sugar on a rollercoaster. And listen, if you want the M&M’s, have the M&M’s. One snack won’t undo your progress. The key is awareness, not perfection.
One of the biggest questions I get is how sleep plays into all of this. And let me tell you, sleep is huge. When we’re stressed, we tend to stay up later trying to get things done, but that only makes things worse. Remember the saying “sleep on it”? That’s because sleep is when your brain organizes everything and resets. After a good night’s sleep, challenges feel more manageable. And your hormones agree.
When we sleep, cortisol production slows down and the body releases other hormones that help regulate mood and metabolism. Think of sleep as your body’s reset button. Not getting enough of it? You’re stuck in a loop of high stress and low recovery. Especially during stressful times, getting enough sleep is crucial for your wellbeing.
To get better sleep, start by reducing screen time before bed. I know, Netflix is tempting. But all that blue light from screens messes with melatonin, which we need to fall asleep. Try putting the phone down at least 30 minutes before bed and give your brain a chance to wind down.
You might be surprised how many health issues improve just by prioritizing sleep. Aiming for around 7.5 hours per night is a good starting point. If you’re looking for more tips, check out my favorite 3 sleep tips here.
So here’s what we’ve covered. We now understand why stress affects us the way it does, how to support our mental health through real techniques like journaling, breathing, and movement, and why sleep is a non-negotiable part of our wellbeing. These things may sound simple, but they’re powerful.Right now, we’re all doing the best we can to stay healthy. If we give a little more attention to managing stress and anxiety and making sleep a priority, our bodies will thank us. Because yes, life is stressful—but you’re not stuck. You’ve got the tools. Let’s use them.