Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. It is the body’s physical response to a real or perceived threat, demand, or danger.

Everyone experiences stress at different levels. Even when the same stressors are present, our experiences can be different. Certain groups experience higher levels of stress, for example, communities of color, LGBTQIA+, women, and parents.

Stress isn’t always harmful. For example, think about the motivation you feel to study for your next exam, or the urge to make a to-do list on a Sunday. These are positive ways that stress can help you focus and complete tasks. But when stress is frequent and intense, it can affect your overall health, resulting in a reduced quality of life.

This is why we want to help you get to the root cause of your stress, understand the ays it manifests for you, and learn preventative tools for coping with stress. Because you deserve a healthy, happy life.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, dread, and uneasiness typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Social anxiety is a feeling of worry or nervousness focused mainly on social interactions. To better understand social anxiety, let’s start by learning the main components that anxiety is created and sustained by:

1. Physiological

   • Rapid heart rate

   • Sweaty palms

   • A lack of appetite

2. Cognitive

   • Anxious thoughts

   • Predictions

   • Judgments

3. Behavioral

   • Avoiding certain people, places, or situations

   • Difficulty saying “no” and honoring boundaries

   • Tendency to snap at others with little warning

Most people with anxiety experience all 3 parts together. If your professor emails you and asks to speak after class tomorrow, you might experience your heart drop, and your hands begin to sweat (Physiological). Then you might notice yourself starting to worry, and creating scenarios about what they will tell you (Cognitive). Then you might put it off by skipping your next class and finally struggling to make eye contact once you’re there (Behavioral).

When we struggle with anxiety all three components happen almost automatically. That’s why to challenge social anxiety, we must also challenge the three components. The following daily hacks utilize these components.

Most people have struggled with feeling like an imposter or fraud at one point or another. The feelings of self-doubt and fear of being “found out” are much more common than you’d think. When you’re in the depths of imposter syndrome, it can feel like you’re the only person who has ever felt this way, but you aren’t alone! I promise you, other people have felt this way too.

If you’re questioning whether you’re deserving of accolades, if you’re worried about whether you belong somewhere or not, or if you’re inner perfectionist is too loud, try these 3 journal prompts for navigating imposter syndrome.

It’s an exhausting moment in American history for most of us. There is tension in the air, the amount of uncertainty and worry feels overwhelming. It’s a stressful time for so many of us, and this is your reminder that your anxiety around this election, the general state of our country and world’s future, and the rights that are at stake is VALID. Especially for BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQ, working class, and other marginalized communities. If your anxiety is at an all time high, we ask that you take some time to care for yourself. Here are a few ways to cope with election anxiety and practice self-care.

Do you feel exhausted constantly? Are you eating well, getting lots of sleep, exercising regularly but you still feel tired all the time? You might be experiencing emotional exhaustion. Almost always, when we suppress our feelings and emotions, they tend to manifest in many different ways. Our unaddressed anxiety, stress, and/or trauma can manifest as tension headaches, body aches, chronic pain, and chronic fatigue.

Can you take a moment to think back to what feelings or anxieties you might be suppressing right now? Are you in a stressful living situation? Did you recently experience a breakup? Are you feeling the lasting effects of the pandemic, election, or racial injustice? It’s okay if you aren’t able to put a finger on the exact “reason” or specific anxiety, stressor, or traumatic event that is being manifested outwardly. Today we’re exploring the signs, symptoms, and coping tools for emotional exhaustion on the body.

Life feels overwhelming for so many of us right now, and I don’t know about you, but finding inner peace seems to be tougher than usual lately. Podcasts can be such a helpful resource for all things mental health. Whether you’re looking for emotional guidance or just a comforting voice to focus on in the moment, podcasts can help us remember one of the most powerful affirmations of all, we are NOT alone!

We created a list of 5 anxiety reducing podcasts to help you de-stress, learn more about yourself, and live better.

Have you ever felt the stress of “everything is important and it has to be done now… but I can’t do it all” I often work with high achieving individuals who struggle with how to juggle it all. We all have been there, we feel divided between our many roles and split between the responsibilities that are pulling us in different directions. Trying to be a superhero and do it all can easily become overwhelming and exhausting. When everything feels important it can be hard to find an effective way to prioritize. In this blog I share some tips and tricks to help you prioritize when everything is a priority.

Overwhelmed? Can’t stop worrying and overthinking about something? Sometimes we feel like we are stuck in a storm of our own thoughts and emotions. This exercise will help you to reduce anxiety and feel more grounded and centered on a tough day.

About pregnancy and the hardships of conceiving.