Chennai-based clinical psychologist Shruti Mohan shares insights on understanding, identifying, and managing stress in today’s fast-paced world.
– What are the most common sources of stress in today’s fast-paced lifestyles?
In contemporary settings, stress is increasingly linked to chronic cognitive and emotional overload rather than isolated stressful events. Many individuals are functioning in environments characterised by sustained stimulation, high responsiveness expectations, and limited opportunities for emotional recovery.
Common contributing factors include:
• Persistent work and academic demands
• Continuous digital connectivity and reduced psychological disengagement
• Financial and occupational uncertainty
• Role overload, particularly among individuals balancing multiple responsibilities
• Reduced recovery time and disrupted rest patterns
• Social comparison and performance pressures
Together, these factors contribute to cumulative stress activation.
– How can individuals recognise early signs of chronic stress before it affects their health?
Early indicators of chronic stress are often subtle and may initially appear as changes in functioning rather than overt emotional symptoms.
Common signs include:
• Persistent mental fatigue or difficulty concentrating
• Irritability and reduced frustration tolerance
• Sleep disturbances or non-restorative sleep
• Increased muscle tension, headaches, or gastrointestinal discomfort
• Emotional disengagement or reduced motivation
• Feeling persistently “on edge” or unable to relax
Clinically, chronic stress is important to identify early because prolonged physiological and psychological activation can gradually affect both regulatory capacity and overall functioning.
– What are simple, practical techniques to manage stress in the moment?
Effective in-the-moment stress management strategies are typically those that help reduce physiological arousal and restore attentional regulation. The objective is not to eliminate stress instantly, but to interrupt escalating activation and improve regulatory control.
Practical approaches include:
• Slow, controlled breathing to stabilise autonomic activation
• Brief grounding exercises focused on sensory awareness
• Temporarily stepping away from overstimulating environments
• Cognitive slowing techniques, such as focusing on one immediate task at a time
• Short periods of physical movement or stretching to reduce muscular tension
– How does long-term stress impact physical and mental well-being?
Long-term stress can significantly affect both physical and psychological well-being. Prolonged activation of stress-response systems may contribute to:
• Sleep disruption and chronic fatigue
• Reduced attentional efficiency and memory difficulties
• Emotional dysregulation and increased psychological reactivity
• Anxiety-spectrum and depressive symptoms
• Increased vulnerability to burnout
• Physiological concerns such as elevated blood pressure, immune dysregulation, and stress-related somatic complaints
Over time, chronic stress reduces the body’s and mind’s capacity for recovery, making even routine demands feel increasingly difficult to manage.
– When should someone seek professional help for stress, and what kind of support is available?
Professional support may be beneficial when stress becomes:
• Persistent and difficult to recover from
• Functionally impairing across work, relationships, or daily activities
• Associated with significant emotional distress or behavioural changes
• Accompanied by sleep disruption, exhaustion, or reduced coping capacity
Available support may include:
• Psychological interventions focused on stress regulation and coping strategies
• Cognitive and behavioural approaches to improve adaptive functioning
• Emotion regulation and relaxation-based interventions
• Organisational or lifestyle restructuring where relevant
In some cases, multidisciplinary support involving both psychological and psychiatric care may be appropriate, depending on severity and associated symptoms.
