On Health with Houston Methodist

Stress & Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference & Tips for Coping

• Houston Methodist • Season 9 • Episode 9

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Stress and anxiety are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same — and understanding the difference matters. While stress actually can be helpful in short bursts, anxiety can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health. With 42 million Americans living with anxiety — and nearly half of Gen Z reporting the feeling — it’s time to unpack what’s normal, what’s not and how to cope. In this episode, we explore why anxiety is on the rise and practical strategies to help you feel more in control. 

Expert: Dr. Olivia Tomasco, Primary Care Physician 

Notable topics covered: 

  • How to tell the difference between stress and anxiety 
  • When stress can be beneficial — and when it becomes harmful 
  • Fight, flight … freeze? What happens when you retreat inward 
  • Digital overload and social media: The new anxiety triggers 
  • Are some people naturally more anxious? 
  • Coping tricks everyone should know, including the truth about the sleepy girl mocktail 
  • Self-care, therapy, medications: Options for managing anxiety disorders 
  • The role of your primary care provider in supporting mental health 
  • OCD and anxiety: How they’re connected 
  • How to know when it’s time to ask for help — and where to start 
  • Common myths about stress and anxiety that need to go away 

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.

♪ ♪

ZACH MOORE:

Welcome to On Health with Houston Methodist. I'm Zach Moore. I'm a photographer and editor here, and I'm also a longtime podcaster.

PAIGE ROMANOWSKI:

I'm Paige Romanowski. I'm a media relations specialist here at Houston Methodist, which means I get to share all the fun and exciting things that are happening across the system with our local news media.

ZACH:

Yes, welcome to the podcast.

PAIGE:

Thanks for having me.

ZACH:

Now, I got an important question to ask you.

PAIGE:

Yeah.

ZACH:

Do you experience stress and/or anxiety?

PAIGE:

Yeah. I think most people do.[Laughter] I think a lot of people do and they don't really talk about it. Definitely, there's a difference between the two.

ZACH:

Which I hadn't really segmented in my mind. I think I probably used the words interchangeably.

PAIGE:

I think a lot of people do, and I think I have as well up until about a year ago when I realized maybe stress wasn't stress and it was actually anxiety. It's a little bit less of,"I have so much on my plate," kind of feeling, but more of, like, intense sense of worry…

ZACH:

Mm-hmm. PAIGE: Consistently. There's no bear chasing me but…[Laughing] But my brain likes to think so. ZACH: Right. No, I'm definitely more, if I had to categorize myself, more the stress guy than the anxiety guy because I feel like I'm pretty chill most of the time. I don't doom scroll a lot, but I do know that, like, I can get, really, like -- if stuff starts piling up, I'm like, "Oh my gosh. I'm really stressed out," you know. Even if, you know, sometimes you show it, sometimes you don't but regardless, it's going on inside.

PAIGE:

Oh, 100%. And that stress can lead to, like, almost a paralysis of not being able to make a choice or do something, so you, kinda, end up staying in that same spot, making even more stress.

ZACH:

Absolutely. So, who did we talk to about stress versus anxiety today?

PAIGE:

So, today we're talking to Dr. Olivia Tomasco. She's an internist at Houston Methodist West. And she has some great insights on how to differentiate stress versus anxiety and what to do to help.♪ ♪Hi Dr. Tomasco. Thank you so much for joining me today to talk about stress and anxiety. Can you tell me a little bit about your background with stress and anxiety?

DR. OLIVIA TOMASCO:

Yeah, absolutely. I am a physician who completed medical school and residency training, and I'm an internist which means I did an internal medicine residency. I spent a lot of time in primary care clinic during my residency and I spent a lot of time learning how to manage stress and anxiety for my patients, also in the hospital as well, that was something that I dealt with in the hospital, acute stress and anxiety related to illness, as well as general life anxiety and stressed out patient.

PAIGE:

I'm sure that that can happen when you're in a hospital. Just the fear of being sick or something else going wrong. Things like that. I'm not sure if you've seen the study but right now, about 42 million people in the U.S. alone are dealing with anxiety, and a 2023 study from Gallup found that nearly half of Gen Z feels this way. So, with such an anxious and stressed generation stepping into adulthood, how do you know when it's just normal stress and when it's actually anxiety?

DR. TOMASCO:

So, a big differentiator between stress and anxiety is stress is usually an external factor. So if it's a job situation, career stress, financial stress, these are things that are coming to us from the outside of our body. And the response to that stress is going to be an increase in cortisol and ideally, that sort of response goes away once the trigger goes away. You can tell if it's anxiety because once the trigger goes away, there will continue to be a stress response, and you'll continue to feel anxious, and continue to feel restless even when that trigger has gone away. PAIGE: Sure. And how often do you see that stress becomes anxiety? Quite often. A lot of people are dealing with chronic stress. If their financial situation is not secure as we see with economic troubles, if people are having chronic illness, that's a stressor that doesn't go away right away. Additionally, if someone goes through some sort of a trauma, they live in fear of that sort of a trauma happening again. Like, if they go through a devastating job loss or a devastating illness or something like that, they might be living with the stress of that sort of thing happening again. And so, that can manifest as a inappropriate stress response and manifesting as anxiety.

PAIGE:

That's really interesting. I didn't know chronic stress was considered a thing in addition to just stress and anxiety. That's really interesting. And stress isn't always bad, but when can it sometimes actually be helpful?

DR. TOMASCO:

So, stress is helpful because it can motivate us. The example that comes to mind is you always hear about people who procrastinate. They get their motivation at that last bell right before something is due, and all of a sudden, they feel that stress that motivates them to get something done. And then they get it done and the stress goes away. And so, that's sort of, like, a normal response to stress is to let it motivate you to do what needs to be done. So, that's when stress can be beneficial. And of course, the physiological response to stress with cortisol, it comes from our fight or flight response. And so, it helps you live your normal life and overcome the threats of normal, daily life. But it should go away once that trigger is gone.

PAIGE:

It's interesting you bring up the fight or flight response. I'm not sure if you've seen this recently, but on social media are talking about -- people on social media are talking about how there's actually a third response, and it's freeze. Does stress and anxiety play into that response as well?

DR. TOMASCO:

I think definitely. Especially if that stress isn't going away and people don't know what to do. I think it's a completely normal response to, kind of, freeze and retreat into one's self and just avoid the situation entirely. I think back in the caveman days, that wouldn't have been an option. If you're running from a bear, you either have to fight or flight, but now with our -- in modern times, you have the option to freeze as well because you're not imminently being chased by the bear. The stress is there but it's not gonna kill you… So, I think it's a normal response to just feel paralyzed by it.

PAIGE:

Talking about stressors from back in the day to today, I'm pretty sure most of those have changed quite drastically from imminent danger of wildlife to different things. Like, social media and digital overload. Can you talk a little bit more about what adults today and primarily Gen Z faces with stress and anxiety?

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah, social media is very prevalent, especially after COVID, which was one of the unprecedented times that Gen Z has had to endure. People spending time at home, I think a lot of times you run out of something to do and you just end up scrolling social media. And, of course, that's gonna always be people's highlight reel. So, you sit there comparing yourself to someone's highlight reel, it makes you feel inadequate. If you couple this with financial stress, or if you're having relationship troubles or career troubles, seeing other people's highlight reels all the time can feel like you are behind in life, even if you're not, and that can just make you feel overwhelmed and it can make you feel stuck. PAIGE: For sure. I think that resonates with a lot of people regarding timeline and when things should happen because we do see everybody's lives of course, it's only the positive parts. What advice would you have for people who are feeling like, maybe, they aren't following the timeline they feel they should? I think it takes a lot of reality checking and setting boundaries for yourself, and it can help to seek support from people around you as a, kind of, like, a gut check so to say. If you're feeling like your behind, talking to, like a trusted mentor, and just getting that reality check, and maybe setting some healthy boundaries with social media so that you're not playing that comparison game constantly is a healthy way to keep yourself from feeling that way. And I think if you want to spend time on social media, maybe setting a time frame so that you are giving your brain a healthy amount of time away from those things that are making you feel inadequate or making you feel behind'cause we're all human, we're all on our own timelines, and social media and just the way that media is structured these days can make a lot of people feel like they're not. So, getting time away from that is important.

PAIGE:

And I think there's something to be said about the general population living longer as well. It might be normal for us to look back at parents or grandparents, and they may have been doing more milestone things earlier, but we're expected to live longer now…[Laughing] So, that's definitely interesting as well. The line between stress and anxiety can definitely get blurry, especially with everything that's going on in today's society. What do you see as some of the biggest sources of stress for this generation?

DR. TOMASCO:

I think career is a big thing because with the advent of AI, I think a lot of -- there's a lot of buzz about AI coming up, and people are worried about where they're gonna stand in the world as AI becomes more prevalent. Of course, finances are stressful, everything is getting more expensive. As we were saying, our generation is gonna live longer. Our parents were reaching these milestones earlier in their life because things were more affordable back in our parents' time. And so, as things get more expensive, that becomes a constant stressor too. Relationships can be hard, especially with -- during COVID and things like that. People became used to online dating and people are feeling lonelier 'cause they spend more time at home or on their social media instead of out in the world. So, I think career, finances, and of course, just the state of the world, it can feel really overwhelming, especially with a lot of the bad news that's on social media. And if you are subjecting yourself to bad news on social media all day long, things can feel really bleak and make it feel like you may not be okay when you really are. PAIGE: Right. And one crazy thing about social media is just how advanced the algorithms are. And so, if you are even just watching, not even technically engaging with it, your algorithm is picking up on that and is more likely to show you those types of things. With that, do you think some people are just naturally more anxious or do you think it has more to do with the environment and the different factors around them? It's definitely both. Some people are just more predisposed to being anxious. It could be genetics, it could be how they were raised. If they were raised by anxious parents and they just learned that behavior and learned to have that response to normal stressors, then they may be more predisposed to feeling anxious. If they've gone through some trauma or have gone through really hard times and the feel like they've been scarred by these things, then they may be more predisposed to anxiety related to that sort of event. And then of course, if you are just a normal person but you spend all of your time on social media with bad news all day, I think you're just -- that's a ripe situation for chronic stress and the development of anxiety as a result.

PAIGE:

Just yesterday, I was scrolling, as one does. And I came across this TikTok from a creator who was like,"I'm tired of living in unprecedented times."

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah, I think that's very relatable.

PAIGE:

I think it's relatable, but I also think maybe other things are going on at different areas of time where people also felt they were tired of living in unprecedented times, but it just wasn't so publicized.

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah.

PAIGE:

So, I think that definitely has an interesting play on how we interpret what's going on as well.

DR. TOMASCO:

Agreed. And a lot of times, people are unwinding at night, and they just get on their phone to check in on what their friends are doing on social media and you're just getting barraged with the news of the world again, and it feels like you can't escape it sometimes. Whereas maybe in previous generations, you could get a break from the bad news if you turn off the TV. But it's hard with how connected we are on the internet and with our communities these days to avoid some of that bad news, and it can feel a lot bigger because of that. PAIGE: Yeah. Have you also noticed with, like, the uptick of scrolling before bed, does that directly correlate to higher rates of stress and anxiety versus a midday scroll? A hundred percent. I have a lot of patients that suffer from really bad insomnia because they don't restrict their screen time before bed. And getting bad news on your screen as you're trying to relax and wind down, it can increase your cortisol and your adrenal glands will release your fight or flight hormones and that is the antithesis of resting and getting sleep. So, releasing those hormones before bed can definitely interfere with sleep and I would say getting good sleep is one of the biggest pillars to your overall wellbeing and combating stress and anxiety. So, my biggest, first piece of advice for people is to get really serious about restricting screen time before bed.

PAIGE:

Even if we are off our phones before going to bed, things like smart watches, they give you news alerts and they're connected to you at all times. And while that can be really helpful for certain things, definitely that bedtime routine is not helpful. If you were to accidentally run into bad news or just can't get away from it before you're supposed to be unwinding and decompressing before falling asleep, what would you advice people to do?

DR. TOMASCO:

I think that every person need to have a few tricks up their sleeve, and it's gonna take some trial and error to figure out what works best for you. For me personally, box breathing is my favorite, and it's where you take a deep breath in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, and then exhale for four seconds. This is clinically proven to reduce blood pressure and regulate your parasympathetic nervous system. And then other people will do things like just put it down and go do something else and then get back in bed to distract themselves and re-regulate their nervous system. And there's also meditation, going for a walk, you know, there's a lot of options out there and it's just gonna take some time to figure out what works best for you. But my personal favorite is box breathing and it's clinically proven to lower blood pressure.

PAIGE:

As we are all so connected and we know that we're anxious and stressed and can't sleep, have you tried any of the viral methods of trying to go to sleep? DR. TOMASCO: Yes. I love the sleepy girl mocktail. It can be really easy in times of stress or after a long day to turn to something like red wine to relax, but this actually will disrupt your sleep and make it easier for you to fall out of your sleep pattern and wake up in the middle of the night once the alcohol wears off. So, it can make you feel temporarily relaxed, but it can actually be counterproductive to what you're wanting to do. And the sleepy girl mocktail is one thing that I have tried that I've really liked. It includes tart cherry juice, which is -- it can increase melatonin production. And then there's also a lot of name brand mocktails. I think having an option that replaces that, like, evening wind down. Like, if you are used to having a cocktail or red wine or something like that at night to relax and, kinda, get your mind off of the times of the world, having something to replace that like a mocktail, it can be really great. And there may be some placebo effect there but we allow it because it helps us feel healthier and get better sleep. The tart cherry juice is the kind of viral ingredient that goes into the sleepy girl mocktail that helps increase melatonin production and help you relax before bed. That's so crazy, all the different ways that food and drink around us can really impact how that works out.♪ ♪Coming up after the break is more on stress versus anxiety with Dr. Tomasco.♪ ♪

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PAIGE:

So, a lot of use stressed and anxious interchangeably. What's the real difference?

DR. TOMASCO:

The biggest thing is once the trigger goes away, if the feeling of restlessness goes away, you can safely attribute that to being stress. But it can be really hard'cause like I said, chronic stress is a thing. If you are in a chronically financial distressing situation then you will feel stress chronically. I would say that if you are having symptoms of, like, panic attacks and these things are interfering with your daily life, you're not able to function at work, if it's affecting your sleep and getting in the way of your overall wellbeing, and even interfering with your relationships, you're safely in anxiety territory there. But if you are feeling stressed about something, even if it's for a long time, and you are having muscle tension, and headaches, and irritability, those are normal signs of stress and doesn't necessarily indicate an anxiety disorder. It's really when we start to get into the territory of interfering with daily life and disrupting daily functioning that you can start to call it an anxiety disorder.

PAIGE:

And for those who might be developing what could be perceived as an anxiety disorder later in life, what would you recommend for somebody who's feeling that extreme overwhelm for the very first time and experiencing those symptoms?

DR. TOMASCO:

For the very first time, I would say it's safe to try some lifestyle modifications. Like trying box breathing, trying meditation, trying moving your body some more and see if that helps how you feel. You can go on, like, a mental health walk on your break at work and see if that, kind of, helps you feel better. And if you're trying these things and still not feeling better and you're still feeling excessive anxiety and worry, it might be time at that point to go talk to your doctor about possibly trying a medication or trying some therapy. CBT is something that can be really helpful if someone has disordered thought patterns that leads to anxiety --

PAIGE:

Can you elaborate on that a little bit more?

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah. So, if people get into thought patterns that they just can't get out of or they are interpreting a threat in a way where they get, kind of, stuck in a feedback loop that they can't stop thinking about it, or they feel like they are unsafe because of, like, a stressor that's not actually life threatening, then CBT might be able to help because it teaches you how to, like, take your thoughts to court and it helps you, kind of, internally reality check your thoughts, and CBT can help people with anxiety let that feeling fly by without indulging it and without letting it affect their daily lives. So, the CBT can teach you how to let the -- if you have an anxious feeling come through, you can acknowledge,"That's just a feeling, I'm safe," and let it fly by. And that's a -- CBT is a really helpful took to help people mater that ability and be able to cope with their daily feelings of anxiety. And of course, if that doesn't help then medication is always there as well.

PAIGE:

Definitely. And with your role as an internist, what do you do to help your patients move forward? When do you recommend a referral to potentially a psychiatrist, or when do you refer therapy versus medication?

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah. So, as an internist, we provide mood screenings for all of our patients. It's kind of standard to ask about depression but I like to screen my patients for anxiety as well. Asking about their worries, if they feel excessively worried, if these feelings are interrupting their daily life, if it's making it hard for them to function, that's how we screen for generalized anxiety disorder. And I ask, "How long has this been going on? How much is it affecting you?" And if it's something that they're clearly struggling with, we can talk about therapy. And if it's something that -- where they're really, really not functioning well, we can just jump straight to something like an SSRI to trial and try to help them through it sooner rather than later. I love starting therapy for people especially if I think that the CBT might work, if they're just overcome by disruptive thought patterns, but it can be hard to get in with a therapist right away and sometimes medication is a more accessible way for people so, if I think that they might be a more advanced case, I might start with medication, but otherwise we can talk about things like meditation and therapy and mindfulness. And sometimes, we can do those things at the same time. We can do medication and mindfulness and to really get them from two directions to help them feel better.

PAIGE:

Sure, a really holistic approach.

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah, exactly. A holistic approach is definitely key here, that way you have all the tools in your basket to help you combat this. And then if someone is having the complicated presentation with anxiety, if they're having severe panic attacks, if they are having severe physical symptoms of this, then psychiatry might be appropriate. If my interventions aren't working at that point, I might seek more specialized help with that patient.

PAIGE:

Sure. And have you noticed with patients who may be starting to develop an anxiety disorder that other mental health symptoms may start to pop up, like OCD-type symptoms or more paranoia? Things like that. DR. TOMASCO: Mm-hmm. OCD and anxiety kind of go hand in hand because there is a desire to control the situation and Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder is all about control. One of the more severe symptoms of OCD could be, for example, someone flipping a light on and off so that their mother doesn't die. That's an extreme example, but it makes them feel like they have control over something that they cannot control. So, when someone is suffering from anxiety disorder, they have a desire to control the situation because there's so much uncertainty and that sense of control might make them feel better but can actually get them into a loop of more uncertainty and more lack of control. So, those things do go hand in hand. And paranoia, of course, you're -- it's a fear of the unknown and people might have these paranoid thoughts coming in. Fear of things that are not likely to happen might be predominant in their mind. PAIGE: Definitely. And can you elaborate a little more on the questions that you ask your patients when you're screening them to differentiate between stress and anxiety?

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah, it's all about the amount of worrying that they have. Do you feel like your worry is excessive? Because it's normal to worry about things, it's normal to worry about your kids, it's normal to worry about your daily stressors, but it's all about how much you're worrying. How restless are you? How much is this affecting your sleep at night? Are you able to relax at all? So if someone -- I will always ask,"How much are you actually worrying?" And then, "How much is this affecting your daily life? Are you functioning? Are you able to complete your activities and daily living despite your worrying?" And so, there's a severity scale. The more that people are losing their daily functioning as a result of their excessive worrying, the worse the anxiety is.

PAIGE:

And there's been, kind of, a stigma around mental health and seeking help. A lot of people just feel like they have to deal with it. And how can somebody know when it's time to ask for help and what advice would you give them?

DR. TOMASCO:

I would say if you feel like you are just surviving the day and you're not really living your life, that's time to seek help. If you are experiencing these symptoms of anxiety so much that you feel like you're not enjoying your life, then you deserve to feel better than that and your doctor's there to help you.

PAIGE:

That's so awesome. And would you say that most internists and PCPs are here to support patients from that full holistic approach? DR. TOMASCO: A hundred percent. It's very common for primary care to manage stress and anxiety and depression, unless they're a complicated case that might need more specialized help, then we can refer to psychiatry. But in general, primary care physicians are equipped, and able, and capable of helping you get screened for these disorders and managing them from the get go. Awesome. That's so great to know that it's not only an individualized aspect, that's it's a culture thing.

DR. TOMASCO:

Mm-hmm. PAIGE: That's so great. I know we, kind of, touched on this earlier, but what does self-care actually mean beyond bubble baths, and spa days, and sleepy girl mocktails? DR. TOMASCO: Yeah. I think it's really about what personally fills up your cup because I know for me, a spa day might stress me out more 'cause I'm like, I'm missing out on time with my kids. So, it depends on the person. If what fills up your cup is spending time with your kids then making sure you carve out that time. And then also just having all the tools in your tool basket like I said. Having box breathing and taking care of yourself when you are hitting those tough moments is the best form of self-care. And I think setting boundaries and just making sure you are prioritizing yourself some time throughout your day is important. And so, whether that's spending time with loved ones, just getting some time away from your house or doing -- having some time for your own hobbies, it needs to be personalized to you. You can't say, "Oh, bubble baths and spa days work for them so it must work for me." It's not necessarily the case. It has to work for you.

PAIGE:

Most definitely. And everybody's different.

DR. TOMASCO:

Mm-hmm.

PAIGE:

What are some myths about anxiety or stress that you wish would go away?

DR. TOMASCO:

I would say the idea that it's all in your head or there's a quick fix are definitely myths that I wish would go away because it's not gonna be solved in one day. This is something that's plaguing our -- like, the younger generations like we discussed, and it's not something that you can snap your fingers and fix it. And it's not something that you can just wish away and say,"Oh, it's all in my head. It's gonna go away." It's just not like that. It takes a multidisciplinary approach, it takes some effort on the part of the patient to take care of themselves and meet the physician half way doing the things that make them feel better. Like, whatever sort of mindfulness works for them. And then of course the medical profession is here to help with the other half of that, whether that's therapy, CBT, or medications and that sort of thing. So, it's not something that can be willed away just like that. And I think a lot of the older generations maybe were better at suppressing these things, but the younger generations are doing a better job of speaking up and saying that they're struggling. And so, I think it's easier to say it's not just in your head because so many people are speaking up about it.

PAIGE:

And that, kind of, goes hand in hand with what we were talking about earlier in your journey with anxiety. I'm assuming, at least from my own personal experience, it has not been linear. DR. TOMASCO: Mm-hmm. I'm assuming that's fairly common.

DR. TOMASCO:

Oh yeah.

PAIGE:

And what advice would you have for people who might be starting to feel discouraged by their lack of progress or feeling like they've plateaued in their progress?

DR. TOMASCO:

I would say to just not feel afraid to ask for help, be honest with your care team that you feel that way and see what other options there might be for you. There's always something else that we can try, whether it's something -- adjusting something in your life to remove whatever stressor it is or if there's something else that we can try from the medical end of things. If we can switch a medication or maybe go up on the dose, or try a different therapist, try a different mode of therapy, try different mindfulness. Maybe there's an app that you wanna try or adjusting something about your lifestyle. There's a lot of options and it's all about tailoring it to the patient themselves. PAIGE: That's awesome. And with the rise of telehealth and mindfulness apps do you think it is easier for people to receive mental healthcare now than it was in previous years? Definitely. It's increased access by a lot and it's made mindfulness and meditation feel more normal. I think probably a long time ago, meditation felt kind of hippy-ish or granola, and I think now it's very common for people to practice mindfulness, and it's kind of a trendy and cool thing to take care of yourself, and be on the app, and have a therapist when you're struggling. And I think that the openness of our generation has helped a lot with access because people aren't afraid to seek out that care, and it's accessible now.

PAIGE:

That is so awesome. That's one good thing about the rise of technology with this generation.

DR. TOMASCO:

It's not all bad news with technology.

PAIGE:

Yes. And to wrap up, if you could give one piece of advice to anybody trying to manage stress or anxiety, what would that be?

DR. TOMASCO:

Yeah, I kind of touched on this a little bit, but your journey, like you said, is not gonna be linear. It's gonna take trial and error. Take small baby steps, rely on the people around you, rely on your care team and try different things. Be open to trying different things that might help you and it'll help you come up with your own personalized tool box to deal with stress and anxiety. Stress will always be there, that's just kind of the nature of being human, but it's all about becoming resilient and trying new things to help yourself deal with things in a more healthy way. And of course, if you have anxiety disorder, there's a lot of help out there, and medication can help and therapy can help, and it's all about what's finding -- finding what's right for you, and your physician is there to help you and screen you, and help you identify what's really going on. And so, just don't be afraid to reach out, and you're not alone. PAIGE: That's so great. Thank you so much for sharing. DR. TOMASCO: Absolutely.♪ ♪

ZACH:

So, Paige, what was your biggest takeaway in your conversation with Dr. Tomasco?

PAIGE:

I really appreciated her insight on why things like the sleepy girl mocktail might work for some people. I've kind of been skeptical to try things like that to help me fall asleep because I feel like it's a placebo. But I guess there is actually melatonin in it that helps you fall asleep, so I wonder if that's also true for different methods such as, like, podcasts people can listen to. If there's actually, like, some sort of science behind that or if it really is just a calming placebo.

ZACH:

Well, we know there is some science behind red wine not being an agent of sleep, which is interesting'cause I know a lot of people are like,"I'll pour myself a glass of wine and go to sleep." And the science, again, is like, "Hey, that alcohol is gonna wear off, and then it's actually gonna wake you up at three or four in the morning so it's doing the opposite of what you think."

PAIGE:

And the sugar content too, you know? Nobody wants a sugar rush in the middle of the night.

ZACH:

Now, do you have limits on your apps on your phones to like, "Oh, time to shut down." Like, "You've been scrolling too long."

PAIGE:

I do. I have the time limits, but I am guilty of hitting ignore for rest of day, so.

ZACH:

Which I guess my point is, do you find that helps you with, you know, anxiety for example?

PAIGE:

I should probably listen to it a little more, I think that would help. But as, like, a general rule of thumb for myself, is I try not to be scrolling past a certain time at night. Usually about 30 minutes before I actually try to go to sleep. I do have my phone next to me on a night stand when I sleep, though. ZACH: Don't we all, though? Really, don't we all? I know they tell you you shouldn't, but. Who is actually not doing that? I recently saw on social media that there is a device that you can tap with your phone now and it will lock you out of your phone for a set number of hours.

ZACH:

Wow.

PAIGE:

And I think, like, you can still make emergency calls if needed, but, like, it keeps you from doomscrolling which I think that could help a lot of people.

ZACH:

Yeah. You know, we keep talking about the phones but I think having the communication the way it is in the world today, it's -- you know, it's a great tool. You can stay up to date with anything and anyone as much as possible but also that's a double-edged sword, right? That's what we're talking about'cause a lot of stress -- even not just doomscrolling. For me, it's, like, when I start getting, like, texts, or this or that, when people are checking in, I gotta answer, I got emails popping up. Like, that to me is a stressful moment when I see my notifications just piling up, you know? I'll tell you what though. You know what would cause me a lot of anxiety and stress? Being locked out of my phone for three or four hours at a time. So, that again is its own double-edged sword.

PAIGE:

Yeah, definitely. I know that there are devices out there today where they can remove apps, like, temporarily from your phone and their notifications, which sounds like a dream, but the thought of actually being, like, locked out is kind of anxiety-inducing. ZACH: Absolutely. That kind of defeats the purpose of what you're doing. Yeah, that's a whole 'nother conversation I think. Definitely.

ZACH:

Something that I wanna try actually is the box breathing.'Cause I feel like that would be beneficial in stressful situations 'cause again, I'm coming from it more from the stress point of view than the anxiety point of view where I'm like,"Okay, let me just take a minute to myself over here and do that," you know, you count to four, the breathing. And I think, you know, like you, I would've been like,"Does that -- does that really help?" But, no, the physical can help the mental here.

PAIGE:

Oh, 100%. And breathing, like, if you've ever taken a yoga class before or Pilates, it has a huge impact on how your body moves. And so, taking that time to be conscientious of your breathing definitely helps at least calm…

ZACH:

Mm-hmm. PAIGE: You know. Yeah. I think that breathing is obviously such a automatic thing we do. We don't really think about what it's doing. And even when you're working out, you're supposed to exhale, when you're, you know, lifting weights, or whatever. And that does make a difference. You know, if you keep all that air in you, you know, there's a reason that your body's set up this way. So, yeah, and then that can alleviate, you know, the stress you're feeling or the long-term anxiety.

PAIGE:

Oh for sure, for sure.

ZACH:

All right, well, that's going to do it for this episode of On Health with Houston Methodist. Please share, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We drop episodes Tuesday mornings, so until next time, stay tuned and stay healthy.♪ ♪