As unfortunate as it is, stress has a way of creeping in and turning life upside down. One minute you’re handling things fairly well, and the next, everything feels overwhelming, and even the people you love most start to get on your nerves. So, does any of this sound familiar? Well, for the most part, the dangers of ignoring stress are real, it doesn’t just make you feel awful; it can hurt your relationships too.
Thankfully, there is a way to manage this, and yes, you can manage stress without turning into someone your friends and family avoid. But how?
You Need to Spot the Signs Before Stress Takes Over
Well, for starters, stress doesn’t always show up with flashing lights. Sometimes it’s sneaky (you might not even notice), for example, slipping into your tone of voice or turning small annoyances into full-blown arguments.
Maybe you notice yourself snapping at a friend for no reason or shutting down when someone tries to talk to you. The thing about stress is that it loves to take over quietly. Yes, it’s just too subtle. Well, it’s easy to brush off those signs and think it’s just a bad day, but stress rarely stays small.
So, what can you even do? Well, it’s best to just go ahead and start paying attention to how it’s showing up in your life, maybe things like short tempers, feeling drained, or misinterpreting what people say, is essentially the first step to getting it under control.
Don’t Bottle It Up
When stress hits, the instinct to pull away from everyone can feel strong. Sure, it’s tempting to shut the world out and try to handle it on your own, but that’s where things start to spiral. You really can’t keep it all inside doesn’t make the stress disappear, it just turns you into a pressure cooker waiting to explode (and usually the smallest of things will make it explode).
Overall, just finding ways to release that tension is key. Ideally, you should go for a walk, listen to music, or do something that helps you feel lighter. For a lot of people, if the physical side of stress is weighing them down, then they’ll usually look into CBD & THC products for stress (but also activities to help like music). But both of these can help ease that tightness in your chest or shoulders, giving you space to breathe again.
Say Something Before the Storm Hits
Generally speaking, stress is tricky because it often makes people feel misunderstood. You’re not angry at your friend for texting you, it’s the million other things on your plate making that ping feel like the last straw. You don’t need to overshare or unload every detail of your stress either, but it helps to give some context though.
Don’t Shut People Out
Stress has a way of making you feel like being around people is just another thing to deal with (when something like this is usually a treat). Sure, the instinct to withdraw is strong, but pulling away only adds to the weight you’re already carrying. But you need to stay connected though.
