Are you feeling more stressed than usual lately?

I don’t have feelings, but I can help. Are you feeling more stressed than usual? If so, tell me a bit about what’s changed (work, family, health, sleep?), how long it’s been, and how it’s affecting you (sleep, concentration, appetite, mood). A quick severity check helps: on a scale of 0–10, how intense is it right now?

In the meantime, here are quick, practical things you can try right now and over the next few days:

Immediate short-term relief
- Box breathing: breathe in 4s — hold 4s — breathe out 4s — hold 4s. Repeat 4 times.
- Grounding (5-4-3-2-1): name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste (or one positive thought).
- Progressive muscle relaxation: tense then release muscle groups from toes to head.
- Go for a 10–20 minute walk, ideally outside.
- Do a short distraction you enjoy (music, a brief hobby, talk to a friend).

Short-to-medium term changes
- Sleep hygiene: consistent bedtime, no screens 30–60 min before bed, limit caffeine late in the day.
- Break tasks into small steps and schedule short breaks (Pomodoro: 25min focus, 5min break).
- Limit news/social media if they increase anxiety.
- Build supportive contact: talk to a friend, family member, or colleague about how you feel.
- Regular physical activity (even 20–30 min most days) and balanced meals help mood and stress resilience.

When to get professional help
- If stress is making it hard to function (work, caring for yourself), consider talking to a GP, therapist, or counselor.
- If you’re feeling hopeless, thinking about harming yourself, or believe you might act on those thoughts, seek immediate help — contact local emergency services or a crisis line right away. (If you’re in the U.S., you can dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; tell me your country and I can help find local resources.)

Would you like to:
- Try a guided breathing or grounding exercise now?
- Get a short daily plan to reduce stress this week?
- Find professional resources or referral options in your area?

Tell me what feels most helpful and we’ll go from there.