Unhealthy vs. Healthy: How Do You Cope with Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of modern life. From the moment we wake up to a buzzing alarm clock to the time we scroll through endless notifications before bed, our minds are constantly juggling tasks, decisions, and expectations. A certain degree of stress can be helpful, it can sharpen our focus, push us to meet deadlines, or even boost our performance in challenging situations. However, when stress becomes chronic, overwhelming, or unmanageable, it can negatively affect every aspect of our lives, our health, relationships, productivity, and sense of peace.

We often underestimate how deeply stress can manifest. It’s not always visible. It can show up as persistent fatigue, irritability, forgetfulness, poor sleep, frequent headaches, or a sense of emotional numbness. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to recognize when we’re stressed until it starts disrupting our daily functioning. That’s why it’s important not only to manage stress, but to manage it well. How we respond to stress determines its impact on us in the long term.

This is where understanding healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms becomes crucial. While some habits offer genuine relief and promote mental wellness, others may mask stress temporarily but end up intensifying the problem. If you’re feeling unsure about where you stand or how deeply stress is impacting your life, a mental health assessment, like the ones provided by Samvedna Care, can help you evaluate your emotional state and receive personalized guidance.

Unhealthy Ways of Coping with Stress

When we’re under pressure, our instinct often gravitates toward quick fixes or avoidance strategies. These responses might offer short-term comfort, but they rarely resolve the root cause and may create long-term consequences.

1. Emotional Eating and Skipping Meals

Stress disrupts our eating patterns. Some people turn to comfort foods high in sugar or carbs, while others lose their appetite altogether. Both extremes interfere with our energy levels, digestion, and concentration, and may create a cycle of physical discomfort and guilt.

2. Substance Use

Using alcohol, smoking, or drugs to “take the edge off” is more common than we realize. While these substances may offer momentary relaxation, they impair the brain’s ability to process stress effectively and can lead to dependency, emotional instability, or long-term health issues.

3. Procrastination and Avoidance

Delaying responsibilities or avoiding decisions may feel like temporary relief, but in reality, it compounds anxiety. The longer we avoid stressors, the more overwhelming they become, often leading to guilt, underperformance, or missed opportunities.

4. Excessive Screen Time

Doomscrolling, binge-watching, or gaming for hours on end might seem like an escape from stress, but overuse of screens, especially before bedtime, can disrupt sleep, increase anxiety, and further isolate individuals from real-life interactions.

5. Withdrawal from Social Circles

Isolation might feel like protection when you’re overwhelmed, but over time, it cuts off vital support systems. Friends, colleagues, and family often serve as sounding boards, and distancing from them can make us feel lonelier and more helpless.

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

While no single strategy works for everyone, the key to managing stress is finding consistent, nourishing practices that work for your body and mind. Here are research-backed, mental health therapist-recommended ways to respond to stress more constructively:

1. Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques

Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts the body’s stress response. Even five minutes a day of intentional breathing or body scanning can help regulate emotions.

Try this: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat this for 2 minutes to calm your nervous system.

2. Structured Routine and Sleep Hygiene

Our brains thrive on predictability. Having a daily routine helps reduce uncertainty and decision fatigue. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, and limit caffeine and screens before bedtime to improve sleep quality.

3. Regular Physical Activity

Exercise is one of the most effective natural stress-busters. Whether it’s a brisk walk, a dance class, or a yoga session, physical movement releases endorphins, chemicals that boost mood and reduce anxiety.

4. Journaling and Expressive Writing

Putting your thoughts down on paper helps you process emotions, identify triggers, and gain clarity. Try writing about what’s bothering you, and follow it with a gratitude list. This shift in focus can help reframe your day.

5. Reaching Out for Support

Talking about your feelings doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human. Sharing your thoughts with a friend, mentor, or therapist can lighten the load. If your stress feels persistent or unmanageable, a mental health assessment can help you pinpoint underlying concerns and access professional help.

Samvedna Care, for instance, offers expert assessments and online counseling support tailored to individual needs, whether you’re coping with work-related stress, family pressure, or life transitions.

6. Boundaries and Saying No

Learning to say no is an essential skill. Prioritize your time and energy. Overcommitting may seem noble, but it leaves little room for rest or recovery and eventually leads to burnout.

7. Creative and Meaningful Activities

Engaging in hobbies that bring joy painting, gardening, playing music, cooking, or crafting, can ground you in the present and give your mind a break from worry. Creative expression is also a proven outlet for processing difficult emotions.

The Role of Mental Health Assessment

Sometimes, stress feels like an unsolvable puzzle. That’s when a mental health therapist’s insight becomes essential. A mental health assessment can uncover whether your stress is situational, linked to deeper emotional patterns, or part of a more complex psychological issue. These assessments serve as a foundation for therapy or counselling and can help create a roadmap for your well-being.

At Samvedna Care, experienced professionals offer confidential assessments that look at your emotional, cognitive, and behavioural patterns. This can help you gain clarity on your triggers and empower you with tools and techniques to cope more effectively.

Take Stress Seriously—But Manage It Smartly

Stress is real. It’s not always dramatic or loud. Sometimes, it quietly builds up until it interferes with how we think, feel, and function. While we can’t control every source of stress, we can control how we respond. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress, but to build healthier coping mechanisms and become more resilient.

Whether it’s making lifestyle tweaks, reconnecting with support systems, or reaching out to mental health therapists like those at Samvedna Care, managing stress is a journey worth investing in. If you’ve been wondering where to start, a mental health assessment might just be the first step toward taking control of your well-being.