Do you tend to crumble in the face of stress? Do you feel overwhelmed or incapable of powering through stressful times? You’re not alone. In today’s world, we’re faced with all kinds of psychological stress on a daily basis. There’s no escaping it. Unfortunately, too much stress is bad for your brain, body, and mental health. In some cases, it can lead to a nervous breakdown, also known as a mental breakdown. That’s when stress levels become so extreme you can no longer handle everyday activities. To help prevent a mental breakdown, or to overcome one, you need to become more resilient to stress. Here are 5 science-backed strategies that help build stress resilience. Unfortunately, too much stress is bad for your brain, body, and mental health. In some cases, it can lead to a nervous breakdown, also known as a mental breakdown.

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5 STRATEGIES TO BUILD RESILIENCE TO STRESS AND ANXIETY

Keep your anxiety and stress levels in check and support your brain health with these 5 stress-busting techniques.

1. Gather information.

What you don’t know has power over you, whereas knowledge brings you choices and control. Fear of the unknown can increase your stress and anxiety. Without questioning your thoughts, assumptions can take over, and little issues can turn into BIG problems that ruin your relationships. Resilience Rx: When you have questions, ask them, and find answers. Getting more information about your challenges will bring you closer to your goals and help you manage the confusing and stressful situations that life brings your way. When it comes to personal relationships, avoiding assumptions by gathering more information is critical. If you’re confused about a loved one’s behavior or believe that they are upset with you, pick a calm moment and gently ask for clarification.

2. Develop a sense of personal control.

When you feel like you have no control over your own life, it makes it harder to cope with everyday stress. It’s even more challenging to handle major stressors, like losing a job, getting divorced, or moving. Feeling powerless can lead to anxiety and depression, which further diminishes your ability to deal with stress. Resilience Rx: Taking personal responsibility for what happens in your life will instantly make you feel like you have more control. By looking for creative ways to solve your problems, you will stop feeling like a victim and start feeling like you’re in charge. This practice can be uncomfortable at first, but stick with it. Think of the word responsibility as your ability to respond to what’s taking place in your daily life. This simple change in perspective will help you feel a greater sense of freedom in the long run.

3. Keep your pleasure centers healthy.

Deep inside your brain, your pleasure centers respond to several neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine. When dopamine is low, depression and low motivation are much more likely. When this occurs, it can be harder to find your sense of joy and lift yourself out of a funk. You may feel like you don’t have the energy to tackle stressful situations. It creates a vicious cycle that keeps you feeling stuck and unfulfilled. Resilience Rx: Boost dopamine naturally by engaging in meaningful and pleasurable activities on a regular basis. Do work that you love, get lots of exercise, and take time to have fun with your loved ones. It’s equally important to avoid wearing out your pleasure centers through substance abuse or too many repetitive behaviors, such as gambling, video games, compulsive eating, or excessive shopping.

4. Clear up past traumas.

Traumatic experiences from the past can continue to haunt you in the present. Continuing to dwell on past traumas may prevent you from dreaming big and reaching your goals in life. Being enslaved to past hurts drains you of the mental strength you need to address the stresses associated with getting what you want out of life. When you’re focused on the past, you don’t have enough mental energy to go for the job you really want, to find the relationship you desire, or to be the kind of parent you want to be. Resilience Rx: To be resilient, it’s essential to tame the mental dragons that continue to breathe fire on your emotional brain. If you experience recurring stress from traumatic memories, psychotherapy may help. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with a psychotherapeutic treatment technique called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) may help. The focus of EMDR is to resolve or eliminate emotional distress by shifting how a memory is triggered in the brain. EMDR can be particularly helpful for people with a history of abuse or those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

5. Build a community.

Loneliness can make it harder to handle everyday stress. In fact, research shows that social isolation raises activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s stress-response system. Heightened activity of the HPA axis is associated with anxiousness, depressive symptoms, poor sleep, irritability, impulsivity, and more. All of these make it harder to cope with stress. Resilience Rx: Get connected. If you have ever felt euphoric after getting together and bonding with a group of friends, you have experienced the brain-boosting power of social connection.   Spending time in a positive, supportive community is a wonderful way to boost your bliss neurohormones, such as oxytocin. In fact, numerous studies have indicated that people who feel close, connected, loved and supported have a lower incidence of major depression, anxiety disorders, heart disease, infections, and cancer. Conversely, unhealthy habits can also be contagious, so be careful about the kind of company you keep. Focus your energy on people who are positive and engage in healthy habits.

KEEP STRESS RESILIENCE STRONG

In addition to these strategies, be sure to eat a brain-healthy diet, get adequate sleep, and engage in regular physical activity. Having a regular stress-management program is critical to keeping your brain healthy and avoiding a nervous breakdown. Anxiety, stress, depression, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.