Stress Management in Los Angeles: Practical Strategies for a High-Pressure Lifestyle

You know what they say about stress - “When you get so stressed that your stress starts stressing you out to the point where you are too stressed to deal with your stress!” Phew! This tongue twister was stressful in itself, but in all honesty - stress is everywhere, especially in a pressure cooker city like Los Angeles, where we are all playing keep up. In fact, 37% of Los Angeles residents say that their stress levels have increased in the past year.

Stress can seem like it is piling up, and there is nothing you can do. But with healthy and practical stress management strategies, you can regain control of your life and journey toward a sense of harmony and peace.

Stress management uses practical coping strategies to manage the stressors in your life and how you respond to them. More often than not, what gets to us is the stressors of our lives - it may be your job, bills to pay, relationship troubles, and more. But this is where it gets tricky.

We all deal with stress in our own way, but we can deal with it in both healthy and unhealthy ways. For instance, meditating to reduce stress is a healthy way, but using substances to manage stress or binge eating is an unhealthy way.

Linda Whiteside, Clinical Supervisor at the NuView Treatment Center, says, “Stress management is all about taking back control of your thoughts and emotions from the stressors. It is you saying it is you who is in control, and not them. The goal here is to bring back harmony in your life.”

Life in Los Angeles is life in the fast lane, which means that there can be a lot of reasons for stress. Some of the common ones are:

• Academics.
• Job or lack thereof.
• Life transitions such as marriage, parenthood, and divorce.
• Loss of a loved one.
• Traumatic events.
• Abuse, neglect, and interpersonal violence.
• Chronic illness or medical conditions.
• Caregiving.

Linda Whiteside informs, “Stress management begins when you identify the reasons for stress in your life. While major stressors are easy to identify, understanding the underlying reasons can be tricky. For instance, you may be stressing out about deadlines, but the real reason why you are struggling with this is that you have difficulty saying no to unnecessary things getting in the way.”

The consequences of not managing stress properly can be understood through the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). It is a theory given by Hans Selye, which says that the body goes through three stages when exposed to stress - the alarm stage, resistance stage, and exhaustion stage.

If stress is not managed or reduced in the early stages, it leads to a complete depletion of bodily resources as the body moves toward the final stage (the exhaustion stage). This, in turn, leads to a weakened immune system and a wide range of other physical and mental health conditions:

• Headaches.
• Chest pain.
• Digestive concerns.
• Arthritis.
• Chronic pain.
• Obesity.
• Peptic ulcer.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Heart disease.
• Heart attack.
• Stroke.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Substance use disorders.

Indeed, stress can lead to a myriad of health problems, not just because of the stressor, but also because of the unhealthy coping mechanisms you can use - such as substance use, binge eating, retail therapy, and so on. Therefore, learning effective stress management techniques is half the job done.

Stress management techniques can be of two types:

• Problem-Focused: You mitigate or remove the source of your stress.
• Emotion-Focused: You manage and reduce the negative emotions caused by stress.

To this end, some strategies you can use are:

Problem-Solving

You identify the source of your stress, understand the underlying reasons for your stress, gather information, formulate a solution, implement the solution, and evaluate the outcomes.

Decision-Making

You identify the sources of your stress, understand the underlying reasons for your stress, gather alternatives, weigh the alternatives against each other, implement the best possible alternative, and focus on the outcomes.

Remove Yourself From the Environment

When your circumstances or environment are becoming stressful for you, take a time out. Go out for a brisk walk, vacation, or any other way you can switch off.

Reach Out to Others

Reach out to others whenever you think you can use a helping hand. Asking for help does not make you weak; it makes you practical.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Use meditation and mindfulness techniques to keep your thoughts away from negative things and focus on your present.

Relaxing Exercises

You can use deep breathing exercises to relax.

Exercise

Physical exercise (of your choice) releases endorphins, which reduce stress and heighten your sense of well-being.

Journaling

Journaling daily is a good habit. It helps clear the mental clutter and offers clarity. For instance, gratitude journaling right in the morning helps set a positive tone for the day.

Social Support System

To have a strong social support system you can rely on acts as a buffer to your stress and other crisis circumstances.

Setting Boundaries

Setting interpersonal boundaries prevents you from being pulled in different directions - saying no, prioritizing your well-being, etc, comes under setting boundaries.

Counseling or Therapy

Sometimes, stress can become too much for you to handle on your own - but you do not have to. Reaching out to licensed mental health practitioners can provide you with the tools and skills you need to cope with stress in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

Linda Whiteside says, “Some amount of stress is good - this is known as eustress, which can serve as a motivator. However, when stress becomes prolonged, it becomes chronic stress - it can deplete your physical and mental energy. It can also weaken your immune system and lead to cardiovascular problems. This is why learning stress management strategies is key to a healthy life.”

The 4 A’s of stress management are 4 simple, easy-to-follow concepts that you can use to effectively manage stress:

• Avoid: The first step is to avoid or distance yourself from the stressor. Avoidance may not always be the right path of action, but you can choose to avoid those unnecessary stressors that you can afford not to waste your time and energy on.
• Alter: When you cannot avoid something, try to alter it. For instance, if something is making you uncomfortable, you can take steps like taking a stand, negotiating, or compromising to alter the circumstances.
• Adapt: When you cannot avoid or alter the stressor, you adapt to it. For instance, you can change your perceptions or expectations regarding the stressor so that you can better adapt to its presence.
• Accept: You cannot always avoid, alter, or adapt to all stressors. Sometimes, you need to accept them to experience relief. For instance, a life transition (like a divorce), the death of a loved one, or a natural disaster cannot be reversed or changed. So, you accept it. Share your feelings, practice forgiveness, and come to terms with it by looking at the positives. Therapies like acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive restructuring can also be beneficial.

Stress impacts everyone - while we have normalized stress as a constant (albeit unwanted) companion, it does not have to be that way. If everyday stress has become overwhelming for you - reach out to NuView now!

Our licensed and trained mental health specialists combine empathy with practical tools to get to the bottom of your stress and teach you effective stress management techniques that are tailored to your needs and goals.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at (323) 307-7997 to connect with our experts to lay the foundation for your brighter tomorrow - today!

1. Is stress always bad?

No, some amount of stress is good for you in that it can serve as a motivator for you to go out there and perform better. For instance, the stress you experience before an upcoming interview is good for you in that it helps you prepare well.

2. When are some signs of stress?

Some signs that stress is becoming bad for you - you may experience headaches or other body aches, digestive problems, and sleep troubles. You may lose your appetite or eat more. Chronic stress also worsens pre-existing concerns like the use of alcohol, tobacco, or other substances.

3. What are some effective stress management techniques?

Problem-solving, decision-making, time management, meditation, mindfulness, physical exercise, switching off, and reaching out to a mental health practitioner when it becomes overwhelming for you are examples of some effective stress management techniques.

4. What happens if you cannot manage stress?

Stress leads to a fight-or-flight response, which impacts your sympathetic nervous system and leads to other bodily changes. Constantly being in this state of stress can deplete your immune system and even lead to cardiovascular problems.

5. Where can I find counselors or therapists for stress management in Los Angeles?

You can ask your primary healthcare provider or trusted family and friends for references. Or, you can reach out to NuView at (323) 307-7997, and we will match you with licensed and trained counselors and therapists who can tailor stress management to your needs and goals.