Here’s something I’ve learned: you don’t need a major crisis to feel completely overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s just the accumulation of small things – waking up to dishes in the sink, coming home to an unmade bed, never finding a quiet moment for yourself, or constantly feeling behind on everything.
We often tell ourselves these things aren’t “big enough” to stress about, especially when we see everything happening in the world. But here’s the truth – whatever is bothering you matters. Big or small, these feelings are valid and can genuinely affect how you move through your days.
In this article, I’d like to share what’s been helping me manage stress better, as someone who used to get super stressed by the slightest inconvenience in life.
By Sivan Weitz from Dupe
Why we need better ways to cope with stress
Stress isn’t going anywhere completely. Even if you leave that job that’s draining you and start something new, different pressures will follow. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress entirely – it’s about building habits and systems that help you handle it without reaching burnout.
Think of managing your stress the same as caring for your skin, consistency matters more than perfection. Some days you handle stress beautifully, other days you’ll feel all over the place. Both are completely normal.
7 things to do when stressed that actually help
1. Finding ways to balance your day
We need some harmony to feel grounded (at least I know I do). When we wake up with endless thoughts and no plan, you can easily feel overwhelmed and stressed because you feel like you have a lot to do without a plan or structure around your day.
This means setting aside time for work, for yourself, for people you care about, and for basic self-care. I know it’s not always realistic to follow an exact schedule, but having one takes so much mental load off your brain.
Simple balance starters:
- Plan your day the night before
- Block time for the things that matter to you as if it was a work meeting
- Include small pockets of rest, been if it’s just 10 minutes
- Create your own dopamine menu
2. Let go of rules in your head
I’ve noticed that I’ve held on to these invisible rules that have made my life way harder that it had to be. There are so many things you don’t “have” to do or be in life. The best thing is to focus on what your life feels like to you instead of how it looks like on the outside.
Some rules that I’ve had in my mind are like I had to leave work with all emails answered, even when it’s not required. Or I’ll waste an entire morning if I have a 1 PM appointment, even though there’s plenty of time to do other things.
These arbitrary rules create unnecessary stress. Take some time to think about what rules you’ve created for yourself, write them down somewhere, and consciously work on breaking them. It’ll feel uncomfortable at first, but it makes daily life so much easier.
3. Don’t give work all your time
We can’t just abandon our responsibilities when stress hits, but we can take care of ourselves in ways that leave us feeling more equipped to handle everything. In the end, you can’t pour from an empty glass.
This might look like protecting your mornings, taking actual lunch breaks, or finding small things that make you look forward to your workday.
4. Practice mindfulness in your own way
Mindfulness doesn’t have to look like meditation apps or long hour practices. It can be as simple as eating without your phone, listening to birds outside your window, or noticing how beautiful the light looks at a certain time of day.
These mindful moments help you feel more present and connected. They also help you find things to appreciate even in the middle of busy, and stressful days.
5. Choose progress over perfection
As someone who tends toward perfectionism, I can tell you this mindset creates endless stress. The “do it perfectly or not at all” approach rarely works out, and when it does, it often comes at the cost of your wellbeing.
While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to do things well, perfectionism puts excessive pressure on you and takes joy out of activities, especially creative ones. We all have limits on how much stress and work we can handle, it’s not a character flaw, it’s being human, and as humans, we don’t all have the same tolerance for things as each other.
Tips to reduce stress from perfectionism:
- Celebrate what you have completed rather than focusing on what’s left undone
- Celebrate small progress
- Remember that “good enough” often is good enough
- Give yourself credit for effort, not just results
6. Learn to manage your time better
Poor time management is one of the biggest reasons people are constantly stressed. And it’s one of the things that I feel made a HUGE different in my daily stress levels. Learning how to manage your time is genuinely one of the most valuable skills you can develop.
One of the tips that helped me is the five-minute rule. You categorize your to-do list into tasks that need focused attention and tasks that take about five minutes to complete. Five minutes doesn’t feel intimidating, which makes it easier to start and check things off your list.
This isn’t just to make you feel more productive or cramming more into your day, it’s about creating momentum and reducing that overwhelming feeling of having too much to do.
7. Reflect on what you can actually control
Lately I’ve been reflecting on things that stress me out and asking: do I actually have control over this? If not, what am I going to do about it, and why am I putting myself through this stress?
Acknowledging that some things are beyond your control won’t make them disappear, but it does ease your mind. The more you try to control everything around you, the more anxious you’ll feel.
How to calm down when stressed about uncontrollable things:
- Ask yourself: “is it within my control?”
- Focus your energy on what you can influence
- Practice accepting uncertainty (not the easiest)
Learning effective ways to cope with stress isn’t about becoming someone who never feels overwhelmed. It’s about building tools that help you handle difficult moments with more grace and bounce back more quickly.
Stress often carries important signals; it might be telling you that you need better boundaries, more rest, or help with something you’re trying to handle alone. Instead of fighting against stress completely, try listening to what it might be telling you.
And focusing on reducing stress doesn’t mean you have to be any less productive in life, there are ways to stay productive and achieve things in life while living softly.
Remember, you don’t need to implement everything at once. Start with what feels most doable right now, build that into a habit, then gradually add more. Your stress doesn’t define you, and you have more influence over your daily peace than you might realize.
Small, consistent changes in how you handle stress can create meaningful shifts in how you experience your days. Be patient with yourself as you figure out what works best for you.
Would love to know if you’ve tried any of these tips or how you handle stress yourself in the comments!