Chronic Stress Treatment: Expert Advice On How To Deal With Stress

Chronic stress often slips into our lives gradually, much like the “boiling frog syndrome” metaphor, where a frog placed in slowly warming water fails to notice the rising danger until it’s too late. Similarly, chronic stress can quietly intensify, bringing symptoms that at first seem minor—such as occasional fatigue or irritability—but, over time, escalate to serious health issues.

Day by day, chronic stress can manifest as persistent fatigue, body aches, headaches, or insomnia, adding a slow but mounting toll on physical and mental well-being. This insidious buildup makes these symptoms feel like a “normal” part of life, difficult to recognize as signs of deeper stress.

According to Caldwell, this normalization can make chronic stress especially dangerous, since people often adapt to these symptoms without realizing the harm accumulating beneath the surface. Chronic stress often shows up as anxiety, irritability, and/or chronic illness, and can manifest physically as heart issues, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and insomnia. Caldwell notes that these symptoms may become so constant they feel normal to the individual, making them difficult to recognize as signs of chronic stress.

Physical symptoms of chronic stress can vary significantly and often disguise themselves as unrelated issues, making it challenging to identify them as stress-related. These symptoms might seem like isolated health concerns, but they could be indicators of deeper, long-term stress. Dr. Calfa shares that chronic stress commonly leads to disrupted sleep, fatigue, muscle tension, digestive issues, trouble focusing, and frequent headaches. Over time, these ongoing physical symptoms can contribute to serious health complications like high blood pressure, ulcers, and even hair loss. There has been research dedicated to how chronic stress affects the heart, and many have found chronic stress to lead to serious heart diseases. Chronic stress also manifests as anxiety and depression, adding another layer of negative impact on mental well-being.

Acute and chronic stress differ not only in their causes but also in how they manifest in the body and mind. Acute stress arises from specific, short-term events—a sudden argument, a looming deadline, or an unexpected expense. It triggers immediate reactions like shortness of breath, heart palpitations, digestive discomfort, or a fight-or-flight response, all of which generally subside once the stressful situation is resolved, explains Caldwell.

In contrast, chronic stress builds over time, stemming from prolonged, unresolved issues such as a long-term unhappy relationship, persistent financial strain, or ongoing dissatisfaction at work. According to Dr. Calfa, chronic stress symptoms become woven into daily life, creating a background of constant tension that gradually wears down both mental and physical health. This persistent stress can be harder to identify because it often blends into an individual’s routine, making it feel like an inescapable part of life.

Many people fail to recognize that they are under chronic stress because the demands of a high-stress lifestyle are often normalized and are sometimes even praised as markers of success. Societal pressures and cultural expectations reinforce the idea that being busy, constantly connected, and striving for professional achievements are essential to a fulfilling life. This mindset can make it easy to overlook the impact of stress, as people adapt to a fast-paced routine that leaves little room for relaxation or self-care.

Many people fail to recognize that they are under chronic stress because the demands of a high-stress lifestyle are often normalized and are sometimes even praised as markers of success.

According to Caldwell, this cultural standard leads many to view chronic stress as simply part of modern life, especially for working parents who often feel stretched between professional and personal responsibilities. For many, this means pushing through fatigue, irritability, or even physical symptoms without considering them signs of deeper stress. Dr. Calfa further notes that people may experience headaches, stomach issues, and other physical symptoms but fail to link them to chronic stress, often dismissing these signs as minor nuisances rather than indicators of an overburdened system. This normalization of stress creates a cycle where people feel they must keep up, even as it takes a toll on their well-being.

Recognizing that you are stressed is the first step in managing it effectively. Once this awareness is established, there are many methods you can use to help reduce stress and improve well-being, including specific therapeutic approaches for chronic stress.

Therapy and Mind-Body Techniques

Therapy can help individuals become more aware of how stress impacts their mental and physical health by exploring the mind-body connection. Caldwell, for example, uses Somatic Experiencing in her practice to help individuals reconnect with their bodies, encouraging them to tune into physical sensations as a way to identify and address stress.

Therapy, Dr. Calfa explains, can provide individuals with adaptive coping strategies, enabling them to take more control of their mental health and overall functioning as they work to develop resilience against chronic stress.

Therapy, Dr. Calfa explains, can provide individuals with adaptive coping strategies, enabling them to take more control of their mental health and overall functioning as they work to develop resilience against chronic stress.

Power of Belly Breathing

Dr. Calfa’s approach centers on cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness techniques combined with relaxation skills like diaphragmatic breathing (or so called “belly breathing”), visual imagery, and mindfulness exercises. Practicing belly breathing regularly offers a range of potential physical and mental benefits. It promotes relaxation, can improve muscle function, can increase oxygen levels in the blood, and can lower blood pressure and heart rate. Additionally, it encourages mental clarity, which enables the mind to refocus and transition from a state of heightened stress to calm. For those managing chronic stress, belly breathing serves as a grounding exercise that can be incorporated into daily routines or used in moments of acute stress to help quickly restore a sense of calm and control. These methods can help individuals recognize the relationship between their thoughts and feelings, allowing them to gain emotional distance from stress.

Self-Care in Stress Management

Both experts emphasize the importance of self-care. Caldwell advocates for regular relaxation and decompression routines, and she believes that listening to the body and allowing time to unwind are key to maintaining a balanced mental state. Dr. Calfa suggests a holistic approach, noting that incorporating lifestyle modifications such as getting adequate sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise or physical activity and leisure time can help individuals ground themselves and gain perspective, enabling them to face stress more effectively.

For younger clients, Dr. Calfa uses playful approaches to teach stress-management skills, such as demonstrating belly breathing with a stuffed animal to make relaxation techniques more accessible for children and teens. 

Understanding chronic stress and recognizing it in daily life is the first step toward effective stress management. Therapy, as Caldwell and Dr. Calfa suggest, can be a powerful tool to break free from chronic stress, empowering individuals to take control of their health and well-being. If you think you are struggling with acute stress or chronic stress, our therapists can help. Find the nearest Lifestance therapist here.