Australia is in the grips of a stress epidemic – and it’s affecting everything from our sleep and digestion to immunity and mental health. So how do you put the brakes on? We’re glad you asked…

S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D. Few words make us wince quite like it. Yet, it’s a state alarmingly familiar to a swathe of Australians, with a third of the population – as discovered in Body+Soul’s 2025 Health of the Nation report – experiencing it on a weekly basis. Of the 3,111 respondents in the nationwide survey, Gen Z and Millennials are feeling the strain most, along with more women than men. 

So, what’s going on? “We’re navigating higher levels of stress, and also seeing it more chronically,” explains Dr Kieran Kennedy, a psychiatrist and co-author of The Manual, of the unwanted accessory that so many of us are carrying through frantic schedules – alongside our ‘emotional support water bottle’ and the smartwatch that reminds us to exhale.

Indeed, across all generations, financial pressure was the biggest driver of stress when Body+Soul crunched the numbers. However, Gen Z and Millennials were more likely to cite personal relationships as a factor, while family responsibilities were high on the minds of Millennials and Gen X. 

“Overwork and difficulty setting work-life boundaries, along with constant digital consumption and pressure from social media, are other triggers,” notes Dr Sara Kuburic, an existential psychotherapist and author of It’s On Me. “There’s also feeling the need to be ‘perfect’ in multiple roles – be that friend, partner or employee – and having endless possibilities but feeling paralysed about making the ‘right’ decisions.” 

Other common pressure points, she adds, include a lack of time for self-care, the overwhelm of daily tasks and uncertainty about the future. “In modern life, stressful events can affect people several times a day – and our nervous systems have not yet evolved to cope,” explains Georgie Collinson, an anxiety therapist and author of The Anxiety Reset Method.

With stress served up like phone notifications, living an entirely zen life feels nigh on impossible – but there may be signs you’re balancing too much. “A major indicator is disrupted sleep, as well as issues with focus,” notes Dr Kuburic. “Also, beware losing interest in activities that once brought joy, as well as changes in eating patterns and feeling inexplicably fatigued.” 

Finding yourself shallow breathing or experiencing recurring headaches are likewise signals that your body is in a state of tension. “Stress will always show up in health symptoms eventually,” acknowledges Collinson, who lists digestive problems, menstrual cycle changes, poor immunity and skin issues as other pointers of chronic strain. Not to mention mental health, with prolonged stress raising the risk of anxiety and depression, too. 

The good news? “There are many empowering steps that we can take” to tackle how stressed we feel, according to Dr Kennedy. “What may be stressful for one person, might not be for the next,” he adds. However, once you’ve identified where your feelings of overwhelm are coming from, the exciting next stretch of your journey is making some achievable tweaks that can transform your life. 

So if you’ve tried and failed to de-stress in the past, then let us introduce you to some simple, science-backed, expert-endorsed strategies for promoting calm that you likely haven’t considered…

Get good-quality sleep 

You might not realise it, but feeling in control of your day’s schedule begins at night. Disrupted sleep was found by Body+Soul’s research to be the most reported effect of stress, and a lack of quality shut-eye will subsequently leave you less resilient to overwhelm the next morning.

“A rise in cortisol can lead to difficulties switching off and nighttime awakenings – especially around 3 am, when our baseline levels of the hormone naturally rise – and sleep deprivation can also cause it to increase,” explains sleep expert and author of Bear, Lion & Wolf, Olivia Arezzolo. Yet, rather than resign yourself to the fact your snooze is in a bind – like a duvet after you’ve been tossing and turning all night – there are many positive actions you can take. 

“As well as dimming lights and screens, slip on a pair of blue light-blocking glasses around an hour before bed – they’ve been found by research to reduce nighttime awakenings,” she suggests. “An evening shower can also encourage production of the ‘sleepiness hormone’ melatonin.” Her most unusual tip of all to calmly catch Zs? “Massage lavender pillow spray onto the soles of your feet before slipping between the sheets,’ she recommends. “This aroma has been clinically demonstrated to reduce cortisol, and feet have a greater rate of absorption thanks to a higher concentration of sweat glands.”

Eat mood-boosting food

Whether you tend to ‘comfort eat’ – like a quarter of Aussies, in our findings – or experience a plummeting appetite when under pressure, it’s possible to protect your eating patterns from the effects of stress. “It impacts us all in different ways,” notes dietitian and nutritionist, Jemma O’Hanlon. “Some people’s cravings spike in such scenarios – perhaps linked to behaviours learnt in childhood when we may have been cheered up with an ice-cream – while others may forget to eat because their bodies are in ‘fight or flight’ mode.” Understanding which kind of ‘stress eater’ you are can be helpful for ensuring you stay conscious of fuelling your body properly during tougher times.

This is because what you eat can make all the difference to how well you respond to stressful situations. “In these moments, there is a higher demand on our bodies for oxygen, energy and nutrients,” explains O’Hanlon, of why reaching for nutrient-poor foods – or forgetting to eat at all – can impact vital functions like brain power. The best items to add to your plate?

“The evidence shows the Mediterranean diet is the best remedy,” she reveals. “Opt for wholefoods like fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, fish and seafood, as well as healthy fats such as extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado.” O’Hanlon adds that regular meals are also key – which is why stocking your kitchen with pre-prepared nutritious meals and snacks is wise if your to-do list is consuming your waking hours.

Embrace daily exercise

It’s been proven time and time again as one of the most powerful tools we can deploy when it comes to managing stress, and supporting better mental health in general. “Research has shown that even just one instance of moderate-level exercise can help lower levels of stress,” explains Dr Kennedy. “Over the long term, regular physical activity can help protect us from future stressful events.” Indeed, according to Body+Soul’s survey, regular exercise is directly correlated with feeling less stress. 

For anyone who has ever peeled themselves away from their desk, laced up their trainers and gone outside to pound the pavement – no matter the pace or distance – the endorphin-enhancing ‘runners high’ can work wonders for an overly wired mind. But don’t presume that ‘letting off steam’ through fitness takes only one form or needs to be done for weeks on end in order to see a positive effect. 

“One of the most unexpected things for patients when I discuss the benefits of movement for mental health is the fact there is really no ‘one size fits all’,” notes Dr Kennedy. “Walking, weight lifting, swimming and even yoga are all likely to have a positive impact on your stress levels. This means it really is about finding something you enjoy, that leaves you feeling good and that can be put in place regularly.” 

So, if committing to frequent early-morning gym workouts feels daunting, try moving during your lunch break. He adds that exercise for managing stress can also be supercharged with a few ‘add-ons’. “This means combining exercise with time in nature, with other people or as part of a goal,” he explains – think doing CrossFit with a friend or building up to a headstand in yoga.

Take more micro breaks

One of the most effective – and straightforward – stress-relievers, experts tell us, is simply more time to think. “Schedule in breaks throughout the day, especially if you’re working long hours,” says Dr Kuburic. Similarly, Collinson points out that good stress management is usually through not adding more things to your diary – even if it’s something that seems net positive, such as a yoga class, but which leaves you more frazzled trying to squeeze in getting to and from the studio. Try this: rather than filling your day with back-to-back meetings, appointments or tasks, schedule in quiet ‘buffer’ time between activities.

“Our brains don’t work efficiently when we have to constantly switch focus, without a moment to pause,” explains Collinson. Work from home? She recommends taking five minutes to lie down on the floor or your bed with your eyes closed. If you’re in the office, you can achieve something similar by closing your eyes for a few moments at your desk.

Gifting yourself these snippets of rest throughout the day will also mean you have to become better at saying ‘no’ in order to install more boundaries. “We must listen to our bodies to understand what we can really cope with,” insists Collinson. “When you’re saying ‘yes’ to something that doesn’t feel good to you, you may notice a tightness in your chest or a sick feeling in your gut. On the other hand, when you’re saying ‘yes’ from a genuine place of wanting to help or contribute, your body feels lighter and more open.” She adds: “The more you practise saying ‘no’, the easier it becomes.” 

Get immersed in nature

In news that will surprise no-one, heavy social media users – defined as being logged on more than five hours daily – are significantly more likely to feel down, according to our research. Scrolling, for many people, now constitutes rest. “But rather than being relaxing, it’s incredibly stimulating for our brains,” points out Collinson. And a lack of opportunity to truly zone out can risk burnout. “While shifting away from the habit of using our phones to ‘relax’ can be challenging, we can be more conscious of our phones’ addictive powers and make other choices,” she says. “Activities like reading a book, colouring, knitting, taking a bath, journalling, baking or stretching the body are rewarding, but also don’t create an insatiable need for more.” 

Another way to be more mindful with tech and recharge properly? Get outside. “Being in nature is often overlooked,” says breathwork coach, Kym Burls. “Lie on the grass and breathe deeply, or swim in the ocean if you can – there’s growing evidence that spending time in ‘green’ and ‘blue’ spaces plays a meaningful role in reducing stress.” And it actually works, with 26 per cent of those surveyed stating that walking out the front door had been an effective way for them to unwind. “Often when we can’t stop scrolling, we’re attempting to meet our need for connection – social media will give that to us the way junk food addresses our hunger, but not our deeper nutritional needs,” adds Collinson. 

If you’re struggling to cope, then it’s important to seek professional support – but know it’s OK if your stress management isn’t always ‘perfect’. “The first step is reflecting on your current levels and choosing goals that will aid long-term calm – like protecting sleep, regular exercise or daily meditation,” adds Dr Kennedy. “Try to make them a priority, but don’t worry if that’s not possible all the time. Consistency is key.” 

That’s a strategy we can get behind.