Over the past day, month, or even year, you’ve likely found yourself talking about—or personally feeling—the pressure of rising living costs, increasing petrol prices linked to global conflict, or uncertainty at work as AI continues to reshape industries. These concerns don’t exist in isolation. They’re amplified by the constant stream of updates through social media and daily news cycles, making it harder to switch off and regulate your system. Conversations with family, friends, and colleagues can quickly become dominated by these themes, reinforcing a sense of unease, dread and worry about the future.
While challenging news and uncertainty have always been part of life, the sheer volume and repetition of information we now encounter can leave us feeling overwhelmed, and even at times leading us to feel helpless about what lies ahead. Stress management counselling in Geelong offered by Helen Handsjuk provides individuals a practical way to navigate this psychological terrain. Helen not only provides support during difficult periods, but also helps you develop the skills to manage ongoing exposure to negative information—so it doesn’t take over your thoughts, your mood, or your life.
How a psychologist can help individuals manage acute and chronic stress
There are 2 categories that an experienced Psychologist can assist you with to maximise recovery and to maintain a healthy, and more balanced life.
- Acute stress – is short-term in nature, and is typically triggered by an event such as being in a car accident, or being attacked by a dog. All people experience this form at one time or another in their lifetime. It is a key survival instinct.
- Chronic stress – persists for months or even years. It can arise from ongoing problems like financial issues, an unhappy relationship, post injury recovery, or working long hours to the point of depletion. You can grow so accustomed to this that you don’t recognize it is a problem. It is debilitating and often impacts your physical, psychological, and emotional well-being. People experiencing chronic stress often feel lost as to how to change their circumstances. Modern life belief systems also traps us into believing that this is the ‘new’ normal and our way forward is to accept and grind through it.
Although it is more common for individuals to engage a psychologist when things become exacerbated, it is also important to remember that psychology can be beneficial when you encounter new or additional stressors that feel challenging to manage.
Where to begin, if you feel helpless and overwhelmed
When you have felt overwhelmed for weeks or months, it can become difficult to know where to start. You may have tried to push through, hoping things would settle on their own, or convinced yourself that what you’re experiencing isn’t “bad enough” to ask for help. This is an incredibly common response. Stress has a way of narrowing our perspective, making even small decisions feel overwhelming and leaving us feeling stuck.
The important thing to remember is that you don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out for support. Recovery doesn’t happen through one dramatic change—it begins with one small, intentional step, followed by another.
Helen recommends these initial steps if you’re unsure where to begin:
- Step 1: Recognise that there is a problem. Do not downplay your symptoms
- Step 2: Take a courageous step by booking in your first session with a Psychologist. It is common to feel a lack of support, or even judgement or stigma from those you confide in, including yourself. It is a common held belief that you should be able to figure this out on your own, or it is short lived, or even that it will resolve itself.
- Step 3: Proactive engagement with counselling during the acute and ongoing stages
- Step 4: Engagement in evidence based techniques and strategies discussed within your sessions
Remember, it isn’t about eliminating every challenge from your life. It’s about developing the skills, confidence and support to navigate those challenges without losing yourself in the process.
Sometimes the most important step isn’t having all the answers—it’s deciding you no longer have to face them alone.
Practical tips to help regulate your system
The following are some evidence-based strategies that can be employed to improve the quality of your life:
- Watch for the default position, that is your automatic response to a stressor. This may not be the most effective way to deal with the situation. Working with a Psychologist will help you identify your default position, and your typical response and tailor a solution to help you manage this more effectively in the future.
- Reduce and where possible remove your intake of social media
- Focus on those things that offer stability, peace of mind, so you are coming from a place of clear thinking rather than reactivity
- Engage in Mindfulness activities. This could include meditation, yoga, exercise, or listening to your favourite music
- Quality sleep. Aim for adequate sleep and where possible maintain a healthy sleep hygiene.
- Avoid stimulants. Reduce or remove your intake of alcohol and caffeinated drinks that are known to stimulate your system
- Engage in social activity. Reach out to friends and family for support and where possible, seek to engage in conversations and activities that bring ease to your system.
Time to take action
If this blog resonated with you, please reach out to Helen Handsjuk. Helen’s caring, and tailored approach will give you the tools you need to help you manage your circumstances and set you up for a future where you feel more regulated and in control of your thoughts, emotions and life.
