Start small: simple tips to better manage stress

Apr 28, 2025

Kelly Adams

A woman sits calmly with her back on a tree trunk, writing in a journal.

In recognition of Stress Awareness Month, we're featuring stories on the impact of stress on your wellbeing and healthy ways to manage stress.

Stress can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, small steps can add up to big changes. In honor of Stress Awareness Month, we asked LifeWorks NW staff to offer a few simple tips for managing stress.

Breath as a mood moderator

Joshua Tabaldo, PsyD, Service Director, starts with the basics: breathing.

"As simple as it sounds, our breath can serve as a powerful moderator for our mood,” he says. “It can help modulate our heart rate and intentionally slow it down, ultimately getting more oxygen to the brain."

Joshua is a fan of square breathing, also known as box breathing. Learn more in less than a minute.

Take a pause for self-care

Taking short breaks to watch a breathing video can be part of a larger effort to minimize stress. Joshua emphasizes the importance of breaks at work to allow you to tend to your own needs.

"I love the saying, ‘You can't fill from an empty cup.’,” says Joshua.  It’s important to take take a moment to recharge and then return to work.

Run through a HALT checklist

Telia Anderson, Certified Recovery Mentor Supervisor, uses a tool she learned in her own recovery from substance use disorder: HALT. The acronym stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. When Telia feels stress, she runs through all the aspects of HALT to uncover what is the most likely culprit. Any one of the aspects of HALT can have an impact on someone’s mood.

"I’ve got to check in with myself," Telia says.

She also finds simple acts lead to big shifts. "Going and sitting next to some water," says Telia. "I have dogs, pet therapy is a real thing. I love to garden as well."

Joshua agrees those small steps can help. “Stress management doesn't have to mean changing your entire schedule or take up too much time.  That can be overwhelming,” he says. “Starting with something small gives you the opportunity to create momentum, build new habits, and slowly manage stress.”

If you need support managing stress, LifeWorks NW can help. Call 503-546-9010 or complete our form to get connected with caring, knowledgeable professionals, like Telia and Joshua.