Stress & Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are part of life - learn how to live well in spite of them
Stress and anxiety are a natural part of life: a little bit of stress keeps life interesting, and a little bit of anxiety helps us survive and show up for what’s important.
However, when stress is chronic or extreme, it can lead to overwhelm, burnout, and emotion dysregulation. This in turn impacts how we show up in the important domains of life, like our relationships, work, health, and play. And when anxiety becomes too persistent or intense, we might turn to unhelpful avoidance and control behaviours in an effort to protect ourselves. These might make us feel safe in the short-term, but can limit the scope of our lives in the long-term.
As long as change and uncertainty exist in the world, so too will stress and anxiety. With support, you can learn to understand your stress response and anxious experiences, regain balance, and reclaim your agency in the face of life’s demands.
Build skills to manage the impact of stress & anxiety
Mindfulness
Mindfulness training can help you notice and name the situations (people, places, thoughts, sensations) that trigger feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Mindfulness can also help you notice unhelpful patterns of behaviour that follow. This opens up the option to make behavioural choices that are more aligned with your vision of a good life.
Self-Care
Self-care is not just a hot bath and a cup of tea (though it can be!). Some important self-care skills include: setting and enforcing boundaries; maintaining healthy sleep, diet, and exercise habits; connecting with supportive people in your life; and nurturing hobbies and meaningful activities.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy helps you gently reintroduce important activities into your life that have been impeded by anxiety. Anxiety will always be with us in life to some degree. The trick is to identify what really matters to you, and practice doing it even though anxiety is present. It could also be called courage therapy!