Stress Management 101: Simple Tools You Can Use Today
Featuring Dr. Paulette S. Smith, DSW, LCSW-C, Gladstone Psychiatry and Wellness
Stress and anxiety are part of being human. Everyone experiences them at some point. But many people don’t recognize the signs until they’re already overwhelmed. That’s the message Dr. Paulette S. Smith, DSW, LCSW-C of Gladstone Psychiatry and Wellness shared during a recent appearance on WJZ-TV’s Wellness Wednesday segment, where she walked viewers through practical, everyday stress management tools anyone can use.
Your Body Often Knows Before Your Mind Does
One of the most useful insights Dr. Smith offered is that stress tends to show up in the body before it registers in our thoughts. Tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, or tension in the neck can all be early physical signals that something is off, often before racing thoughts or irritability set in.
Learning to notice these physical cues is the first step in effective stress management. Once you catch the tension in your body, you can respond before stress builds into something harder to manage — before it starts affecting your ability to think clearly or interact calmly with the people around you.
A Simple Stress Management Exercise You Can Do Anywhere
Dr. Smith demonstrated one of her go-to grounding techniques on air: box breathing. It’s a simple pattern that helps bring your nervous system back to a place of safety, so you can respond to stress intentionally instead of automatically.
Here’s how it works:
- Inhale through your nose for a count of 4
- Hold for a count of 4
- Exhale for a count of 4
- Hold for a count of 4
Repeat the cycle a few times. It’s quick, requires no equipment, and can be done discreetly at your desk, in the car, or anywhere stress tends to creep in.
Mindfulness for Stress Management: Coming Back to the Present Moment
Beyond breathing exercises, Dr. Smith emphasized the broader value of mindfulness activities. Mindfulness means anything that brings your attention back to the present moment. When we’re stressed or anxious, our minds tend to spiral into the past or jump ahead to the future. Mindfulness practices interrupt that spiral and offer a way to reset.
Building small mindfulness moments into your daily routine, even just a few minutes at a time, can make a meaningful difference in how you handle day-to-day stress.
Be Kind to Yourself
Perhaps the most important piece of advice that Dr. Smith shared wasn’t a technique at all. It was a mindset shift: self-compassion. Telling yourself to, “just get over it,” or judging yourself for feeling stressed tends to backfire, often making the stress worse. Instead, she encourages people to:
- Recognize that stress and anxiety are natural human experiences
- Avoid self-judgment
- Slow down and breathe
- Reach out for support when needed
When to Seek Support
Everyday stress is normal, but when stress or anxiety starts to interfere with your sleep, relationships, or daily functioning, it may be time to talk to a professional. As Dr. Smith put it, you’re not alone, and support is available.
If stress management feels like more than you can handle on your own, the team at Gladstone Psychiatry and Wellness is here to help. Learn more about our services at gladstonepsych.com.
Watch Dr. Smith’s full segment on WJZ’s Wellness Wednesday, sponsored by Gladstone Psychiatry and Wellness — care that meets you where you are.
