For the millions living with mental health conditions like anxiety, ADHD, and depression, dealing with stress isn’t part of an occasional bad day (or series of days) — it’s a seemingly never-ending battle on two fronts simultaneously.

To dig into this treacherous area, we sat down with Mentavi Health Mental Wellness Coach Valerie Snyder to discuss how everyday stress can transform manageable mental health conditions into overwhelming challenges, and more importantly, what we can do about it.

The snowball effect of stress

“There are a number of ways that stress can impact somebody who’s already dealing with things like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and any other diagnosis,” explains Snyder.

For those who have achieved stability through medication, therapy, or coaching, she notes that stress can disrupt this balance. “In cases of well-managed mental health diagnoses, they might see an increase in symptomology where previously they have been stable.”

This regression can manifest in several concerning ways, including some emotional or behavioral changes that seem to come out of nowhere. One particularly troubling development is the potential return to substance use.

“People who do have a mental health diagnosis are already dealing with a range of symptoms, depending on what the diagnosis is. And when you add a layer of stress on top of it, a lot of times that can feel overwhelming and can make the person feel a little hopeless,” she explains. “That’s where you might start to see the substance use start to creep back in. People want to feel differently. They don’t want to feel worse than they’ve been feeling previously.”

Beyond emotional and behavioral changes, Snyder emphasizes the cognitive impact of stress on those with existing conditions. “You might start to notice more cognitive difficulties,” she says, “Feeling overwhelmed, feeling maybe a little bit out of control, but there are also those cognitive difficulties of feeling like you can’t think. It’s difficult to put thoughts together. You feel like you’re a little bit of a zombie.”

Drawing from personal experience, Snyder shares, “When I’m more stressed, my ability to concentrate, my ability to remember, my ability to make decisions is more impacted.”

These cognitive challenges can be particularly distressing because they affect daily functioning. “We might start to see more challenges with concentration, remembering things, the ability to make decisions. And that’s very challenging because those are things that we need on a daily basis to feel productive, to feel effective, to feel like we’re being functional,” Snyder concludes.

Three effective techniques for managing overwhelming stress

When asked about immediate strategies to manage overwhelming stress, particularly for those with existing mental health conditions, Snyder offers three practical techniques.

The STOP technique

“The STOP technique is when you can catch yourself in that state of overwhelm,” she explains. “STOP is an acronym:

S stands for ‘stop.’ This step is about acknowledging that you’re in this space of overwhelm.

T stands for taking a breath, a deep inhale in, and an exhale out.

O is to observe what’s going on around you, what you find so overwhelming or what’s contributing to that feeling of overwhelm.

P is about mindfulness; one of the most important strategies to manage chronic stress is to proceed mindfully. Often, we’re not aware that we are in a stressful moment or that a chronic level of stress is happening in our lives.”

Box breathing

Snyder’s second recommendation is box breathing, a structured deep breathing exercise that can quickly reduce stress.

“You inhale for four counts, then you hold for four, you exhale for four, and then you hold for a count of four,” she describes.

This four-by-four pattern creates a mental “box” with four equal sides. “Just doing a round of box breathing really does bring you more focus, it helps calm you down. It’s incredibly effective,” Snyder says. “When practicing, just remember it’s a box — four counts of inhalation, four counts of holding your breath, four counts of exhalation, and four counts again of holding your breath. That really does help to bring you to a place of center.”

Humming

Perhaps her most surprising recommendation is humming. “Humming sounds really silly, I think probably to a lot of people,” Snyder acknowledges, “but what it helps to do is reset your vagus nerve and helps get you back to that state of calm.”

Mental health professionals recommend that individuals experiencing increased symptoms due to stress should reach out to their healthcare providers to adjust their treatment plans accordingly. These immediate techniques, along with regular mindfulness practices, exercise, and maintaining social connections, can help mitigate the compounding effects of stress on existing mental health conditions.