What can I do to reduce my stress and anxiety and get my mood back to normal?

Hello,

Thank you for your question, I sincerely hope that I will be able to answer your questions. If not, I invite you to reply to this conversation and we can continue the conversation in order to bring you the best help.

At first glance, I would like to normalize that stress and anxiety, as well as mood swings, are normal experiences depending on the context of your life. When it becomes overwhelming and affects your normal level of functioning as it seems to be, for example to the point of not being able to do your daily activities, it is time to consult a health professional such as a psychologist, psychotherapist, or physician to determine treatment options. In this sense, I strongly encourage you to use the Ordre des psychologues du Québec website to help you in your search via the following link (https://www.ordrepsy.qc.ca/trouver-de-aide) or via their Call Center for people looking for a professional (514 738-1223)

That being said, here are a few things that you might find useful in order to reduce stress and anxiety, and regain some stability in your mood:

1- Relax your body. This can be a one-time or routine physical activity, deep breathing, a bath, a hug with a loved one, a massage, a walk in a soothing environment or even just lying on the floor and doing nothing for a few minutes. It's up to you to find a way that makes sense to you, the most important thing is that it has a relaxing effect, if not instantly, at least after a few minutes.

2- Relax your head. This could be reading an engaging book, doing a meditation session, doing a mindfulness task such as watering the plants or putting things away, having a calming discussion with a loved one, listening to a comedy show for a laugh, writing your thoughts in a journal, etc

3- Explore your lifestyle habits. Are you getting enough sleep, or too much? Are you feeding your body with foods that sustain you throughout the day? Do you drink too much coffee to help you wake up or too much alcohol to calm you down? Do you feel isolated? These basic needs have a major impact on our mood and stress and anxiety. And it may be relevant to review them in order to modify our habits and find a little more balance.

4- Putting words to our emotions. Feeling on edge, feeling anxious, crying a lot, etc., are usually the signal that there is something unwell going on in our lives. Putting words to our emotions, whether it's talking about them with loved ones, writing in a journal, reading a book on the subject, is a way to bring awareness and clarity to our inner life and to connect to what we really and deeply feel.

Anyway, I hope you find this information helpful. I invite you to continue the conversation if I can be helpful in any other way.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jici Lord-Gauthier, Psy.D.

Clinical Psychologist