Tackling Stress and Anxiety: The "Bear" in the Room
Between work, family, and endless to-do lists, it’s easy to feel like everything is just too much. Whether you’re balancing one major life event or a million small ones, stress and anxiety have a way of building up.
What’s Really Going On Inside?
Stress is your body’s natural way of navigating a difficult situation. Imagine you’re in a forest and a bear jumps out in front of you. In that moment, your brain doesn't want you scrolling through your memories of a 6th-grade science video or something you saw on social media.
It wants you to ACT (Fight, Flight, or Freeze). To help you do this, your body floods your system with a natural energy source called cortisol.
The process looks like this:
Identify the problem: You see a bear.
The reaction: Your brain triggers a rush of cortisol (energy).
The resolution: You use that energy to fight (or outrun) the bear and win!
The Problem with Modern "Bears"
Your body is trying to help you. However, trouble starts when we don’t know how to utilize that energy, or when the stressful situations never seem to end. It feels like you are running into bears every single day.
When stress becomes constant, that excess buildup of cortisol leads to physical and emotional symptoms, including:
Chronic body pain
Digestive issues and heart problems
Irritability and anger
Persistent sleep struggles
The "3M" Reset: Clearing the Cortisol
Since we know a buildup of cortisol is harmful, how do we clear it out? Try the 3M Reset:
Mind: Don’t hold it all in. Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist. Naming the problem out loud is the first step toward solving it. Journaling is also a great way to organize racing thoughts.
Movement: Physical activity is the "off-switch" for stress. Even 15 minutes of walking, stretching, or dancing can reset your mood and help your body process that extra energy.
Mindfulness: When thoughts begin to spiral, return to your body. Try breathing and meditation techniques. Take a big breath... now another.
Take Charge of Your Schedule
If you feel like you are fighting bears every day, you don't have to do it alone. Therapy can help you sort through your environment and give you the skills needed to lower your stress and anxiety for good.
Elisa Piercy, LPC, provides therapy for stress, anxiety, and insomnia—helping clients find a steadier balance through evidence-based approaches like CBT and CBT-I. She offers sessions online and in-person for clients across Georgia.
