How to Beat Stress and Overwhelm: 8 Research-Backed Tips for a Calmer Life (Podcast Episode 320)

Let’s be real: life can feel like a never-ending hamster wheel. Between work, family, relationships, and that ever-growing to-do list, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in a sea of responsibilities. Stress and overwhelm don’t just impact your mood – they can wreck your relationships, health, and overall quality of life. But here’s the good news: you can take back control. Today we’ll talk about the three main reasons you get stressed and overwhelmed and my top eight, research-backed strategies to get from overwhelmed to peaceful.

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Resources and Research for How to Beat Stress and Overwhelm: 8 Research-Backed Tips for a Calmer Life

How to Overcome Guilt and Regret When Setting Boundaries

Emotional Healing Techniques: Mastering Mindfulness and Self-Acceptance/Compassion

Mindfulness Starter Kit

How to Stop People-Pleasing

Five Research-Backed Ways to Have More Self-Discipline and Self-Control

Tiny Habits: How Small Changes Get Big Results: An Interview with BJ Fogg

3 Tips to Calm Yourself in Seconds

The Secret to a Happy Life and Relationships: Resilience

The Secrets to Effectively Dealing with Stress and Anxiety Part One

The Secrets to Effectively Dealing with Stress and Anxiety Part Two

Why Appreciation is Different than Gratitude

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Shonda Rhimes Commencement Speech at Dartmouth, June 2014

Want to be happier? Stay in the moment | Matt Killingsworth TED talk

Creativity In Context: Update To The Social Psychology Of Creativity by Teresa M Amabile

Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg

Berger, B. G. (1994). Coping With Stress: The Effectiveness of Exercise and Other Techniques. Quest, 46(1), 100–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.1994.10484112

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Brown, Joshua and Wong, Joel. How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain, Greater Good Magazine, June 6, 2017

Komase, Y., Watanabe, K., Hori, D., Nozawa, K., Hidaka, Y., Iida, M., Imamura, K., & Kawakami, N. (2021). Effects of gratitude intervention on mental health and well-being among workers: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational Health, 63(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12290

Ketay, S., Welker, K. M., Beck, L. A., Thorson, K. R., & Slatcher, R. B. (2018). Social anxiety, cortisol, and early-stage friendship. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518774915

Ozbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., CA Morgan, I., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social Support and Resilience to Stress: From Neurobiology to Clinical Practice. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(5), 35. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2921311/

Killgore, W. D. (2010). Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. Progress in Brain Research, 185, 105-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53702-7.00007-5

Siebern, A. T., & Manber, R. (2011). New developments in cognitive behavioral therapy as the first-line treatment of insomnia. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 4, 21–28. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S10041

Byron, K., Khazanchi, S., & Nazarian, D. (2010). The relationship between stressors and creativity: A meta-analysis examining competing theoretical models. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 201–212. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017868

Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose Hardcover by Martha Beck

Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1994; 38(2):133-137 BREATHING THROUGH A PARTICULAR NOSTRIL CAN ALTER METABOLISM AND AUTONOMIC ACTIVITIES SHIRLEY TELLES*, R. NAGARATHNA AND H. R. NAGENDRA Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation, NO.9 Appajappa Agrahara. Chamarajpet. Bangalore – 560 018

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