Chronic Stress Treatment & Evaluation in Austin and Surrounding Areas
Living with chronic stress can feel like your body’s on a hair-trigger—jaw tight, shoulders up, mind sprinting at 2 a.m. over emails, bills, and “did I forget something?” You’re both wired and exhausted, snapping at small things and then feeling guilty. Weekends don’t feel like rest; vacations don’t “work.” Even good moments get crowded out by the next what-if.
What most people miss: chronic stress isn’t “just being busy” or a lack of willpower. It’s a brain–body loop that keeps the alarm system stuck on, flooding you with stress hormones and gradually wearing down focus, sleep, mood, digestion, and patience (what researchers call “allostatic load,” the cumulative wear-and-tear of ongoing stress). If this sounds like you, reach out—I’ll help you map what’s driving the overload and build a path back to steadier days, deeper sleep, and a life that doesn’t feel like constant triage.
Understanding Stress
Plain-English definition: Stress is your body’s natural response to challenges or perceived threats, but when it becomes chronic, it can cause physical and mental strain that impacts every area of your life.
Adults vs. stereotypes: While stress is often linked to big life events, in adults it’s just as likely to come from the slow drip of daily pressures—workload, family responsibilities, health concerns, or financial uncertainty.
Common symptoms:
Persistent worry or tension
Difficulty concentrating
Irritability or mood swings
Physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, or digestive problems
Sleep disturbances
Why it’s often missed: Many people normalize stress until it causes burnout or serious health problems, making them think it’s “just how life is.”
My Diagnostic Process
Comprehensive intake — understanding your stress triggers, patterns, and current coping methods.
Evidence-based assessments — validated tools to measure stress levels and identify underlying contributors.
Differential diagnosis — ensuring stress isn’t masking anxiety disorders, depression, or medical conditions.
Personalized plan — addressing both the sources of stress and your physiological stress response.
Treatment Tailored to You
Therapeutic approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness training, and stress-reduction techniques to reframe and manage triggers.
Lifestyle strategies: Sleep optimization, nutrition planning, and physical activity routines that support nervous system balance.
Medication support: When appropriate, short-term or adjunctive medication to help regulate symptoms while you build long-term resilience.
Ongoing adaptation: Treatment evolves as your life circumstances change, ensuring strategies remain effective.
Why My Practice is Different
Most advice about stress is vague or surface-level—“just relax” or “try yoga.” I give you practical, science-backed tools that fit your real life, so you:
Understand the physiological side of stress
Learn strategies that work in both high-pressure and daily life situations
Build habits that protect you from burnout long-term
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today — Chronic Stress
If you’re maxed out right now (5–10 minutes)
Reset posture + breath (90 seconds). Sit tall, feet flat. Inhale for 4, exhale for 6–8. Longer exhales tell your nervous system it’s safe to downshift.
Orient to safety (60–120 seconds). Slowly scan the room. Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Let your body register “I’m here, not in the crisis my brain predicts.”
Drop your shoulders + jaw. Unclench. Roll shoulders back twice. Put tongue on the roof of your mouth, then relax it. Tiny cues—big impact.
Pick one small action. Send a single email, wash one dish, take a 2-minute walk. Action cuts through the “everything everywhere” feeling.
Triage the chaos (10 minutes)
Brain dump storm-drain. Write everything swirling in your head—work, home, health, money. No order, no judging.
Sort into three columns:
Control: I can act now (call, schedule, pay, decide).
Influence: I can nudge (ask, propose, set a boundary).
Observe: I can’t change today (waiting on others/timelines).
Choose one “win” from Control. Do it now or timebox it on your calendar. Momentum > perfect
Micro-boundaries for the next 24 hours
Email: Add a simple line to replies: “I’ll circle back by [day/time].” Buys space without guilt.
Calendar: Insert 10–15 minute buffers between meetings. Treat them as non-negotiable.
Notifications: Keep only calls + one messaging app on alerts. Everything else becomes pull (you check it) not push (it interrupts you).
Say “no for now.” “I can’t take that on today. Let’s revisit next week.”
Reduce hidden stress fuel
Caffeine audit: None after noon for a week; note sleep and irritability changes.
Light + sleep anchors: Morning light for 5–10 minutes; consistent wake time (even on weekends).
Simple meals + hydration: Aim for protein at breakfast and water first before each meal.
Alcohol reality check: If it’s “helping you relax,” watch for next-day anxiety payback.
Nervous-system downshift reps (sprinkle through the day)
Move your body 5–10 minutes: Walk, stairs, light stretch. Movement metabolizes stress chemistry.
Exhale ladders: Inhale 4, exhale 6. Then 4/7. Then 4/8. Three rounds.
Progressive release: Tense fists for 5 seconds, release 10. Repeat with shoulders, face, calves.
Workload that won’t drown you
Rule of 3. Define the 3 most important outcomes for today. Everything else is bonus or tomorrow.
Two-slot day. One protected deep-work block, one “admin/catch-up” block. Put both on the calendar.
Parking lot. Keep a running list of good ideas and low-priority tasks. Capture them so they stop hijacking focus.
Stop the rumination spiral
Worry window. Give yourself 10–15 minutes at a set time to think about the hard stuff on paper. Outside that window, when worries pop up, say “Not now—later.”
One-decision rule. If you’ll have more information tomorrow, postpone the decision and write the question you’re waiting to answer.
If it’s not actionable, relocate it. Move it to Observe and move your body for 60 seconds.
Close open loops (fast)
Two-minute rule: If a task takes ≤2 minutes, do it immediately.
4-D filter: Do, Defer, Delegate, Delete. Touch each item once; don’t put it back on the pile.
Single-tab work: One tab per task. New task? New tab. Finished? Close it. Reduce cognitive “tabs” in your head, too.
Digital hygiene that lowers background stress
Badges off. Remove red notification dots from email/social.
Batch replies. Two windows/day for emails and messages (e.g., 11:30 and 4:30).
First/last 30 minutes screen-free. Let your nervous system wake/settle without incoming demands.
People + co-regulation
Text a “body double.” “Sitting down to do 20 minutes on [task]. Will check back when done.” Share completion—micro-accountability.
Ask for specific help. “Can you handle dinner Tuesday?” is easier to say yes to than “Can you help more?”
Environment cues
60-second reset sweep. Clear your immediate surface (desk, nightstand, counter). Visual calm = mental calm.
Sound & air. White noise or quiet music; open a window for 2 minutes when possible.
Micro-recoveries you’ll actually do
90/20 rhythm. After ~90 minutes of focused effort, take ~20 minutes to move, snack, or get outside.
10-second micro-joy. Notice one pleasant sensation (warm mug, sunlight, clean sheet). Name it. Let it land.
Prepare for a known stressor (before → during → after)
Before: Write the top 2 things you can control and your first self-care move afterward.
During: Breathe 4/6 while you listen; plant both feet; keep shoulders low.
After: Debrief in 2 lines: What went fine? What (if anything) I’ll change next time.
Weekly reset (20–30 minutes)
Look back: What drained me? What steadied me?
Look ahead: What can I subtract or delegate? Where can I add a buffer or ask for clarity?
Protect one joy block. Something small you’ll actually keep.
One-page plan (keep it visible)
My early signs: [irritability, tight chest, doom-scrolling, skipping meals].
My first moves: posture + long exhale, 2-minute walk, brain dump, choose one control win.
My boundary scripts: “I can’t take that on today—let’s revisit [day].”
My supports: [names], [how I’ll ask], [when].
Track one simple metric for 7 days
Pick just one:
Minutes of focused breathing per day,
Number of micro-boundaries set,
Times you did the Two-Minute Rule, or
Walk minutes
Small, visible wins compound—and chronic stress responds to consistency more than intensity.
Stress Often Comes with Company
Chronic stress often appears alongside anxiety, depression, insomnia, and sometimes physical health issues like hypertension or digestive disorders. Treating stress effectively means addressing the full picture, not just one part.
Serving Austin and Beyond
I provide stress management treatment for clients in:
Austin, Barton Creek, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Bertram, Blanco, Briarcliff, Brushy Creek, Buda, Burnet, Cedar Park, Circle C, Creedmoor, Dripping Springs, Elgin, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Great Hills, Hays, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Jonestown, Jollyville, Kyle, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Liberty Hill, Lockhart, Luling, Manor, Marble Falls, Martindale, Meadowlakes, Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, New Braunfels, Niederwald, Pflugerville, Point Venture, River Place, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Marcos, Smithville, Steiner Ranch, Sunset Valley, Taylor, The Domain, The Hills, Thrall, Volente, Webberville, Weir, West Lake Hills, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Zilker, and throughout all of Texas!