You can recognize that you're not feeling well by knowing your general character and baseline personality. If you notice you're angrier than usual or no longer find pleasure in simple activities, like spending time with family on weekends, it might indicate something is wrong. This is especially true if there's no specific stressful situation causing these feelings. If your mood is low without a clear reason and you feel disconnected from life, it could be a sign of an issue.

It's always beneficial to speak to a professional if you have access to one. While seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist can be expensive, especially in places like Dubai, many insurance companies now offer better coverage than they did a few years ago. If you have the means and resources, consulting a professional can help determine if there's a clinical issue to address. Sometimes, just talking to a counselor can be helpful. A neutral person who won't judge you and can provide you with a space to express your emotions and help you understand if there's something to worry about, or if it's just a normal fluctuation of feelings. Acknowledging how you feel, and getting tips and suggestions can make a significant difference.

There are many techniques we can use, but they require practice. It's not like taking a pill for a headache; there are no quick fixes. However, over time, you can condition yourself to manage overwhelming situations or overthinking.
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One effective method is grounding yourself to reconnect with reality, and regain control over your body and mind. Practicing meditation and breathing exercises, such as slow inhalation and exhalation can help. Holding your breath for a few seconds during these exercises can also give you a sense of control.
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Mindfulness is another useful technique. Focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or future. Simple actions like walking away from a triggering situation, connecting with nature, or spending time with a pet can be an immediate stress buster. If you have access to a beach, mountain view, or garden, take a walk there.
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Additionally, small pleasures like eating a piece of chocolate or ice-cream can make a difference. While not the best long-term solution, these small actions can provide immediate relief.

It's helpful to reflect on what has worked for you in the past to navigate similar situations. Every person is different, so be aware of what makes you uneasy. Sometimes, unprocessed past experiences can influence your reactions to current situations. For example, if someone insulted you years ago and you haven't moved on, a similar incident today might trigger the same emotions.

Understanding that past baggage can replay in similar triggers is crucial. Recognize that it's not just the current situation, but also unresolved issues from the past affecting you. To calm yourself down, rely on coping strategies that have worked for you before. Mobilize your resources and connect with anything that makes a difference for you.

It's beneficial to work on these strategies outside of stressful situations, rather than trying to figure them out in the moment. Take time to understand your usual coping mechanisms. Journaling for instance can help you reflect on how the situation is affecting you and provide you with clarity.

If you're repeatedly dreaming about the same work-related theme, it can be a sign of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed by that issue. This anxiety can persist into your dreams, affecting the quality of your sleep, and consequently, your productivity the next day.

It's never too early or too late to see a mental health professional. If these dreams are constant and bothersome, impacting your sleep and daily functioning, it's a good idea to seek help. Many people try to manage on their own for months before seeking professional assistance. If self-help strategies aren't improving the situation, reaching out to a professional is a wise step.

One effective way to reduce stigma is by openly discussing mental health issues. Normalizing these experiences helps diminish the stigma. When more people share their stories, it encourages others to do the same.

Celebrities coming forward about their struggles with depression, PTSD, or bipolar disorder has also contributed to reducing stigma. Their openness promotes acceptance and acknowledgment of mental health issues. Increased openness, acceptance, and conversations around mental health are key to reducing stigma in society.

Many people experience somatization, where physical symptoms like backaches, headaches, or stomach aches occur without a physical health concern. Stress-induced syndromes, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are common examples. If medical tests don't explain these symptoms, it might be stress manifesting physically.

Additionally, changes in your functioning can indicate a mental health condition. If you're not performing optimally in social situations, work, or studies, it could be related to mental health. Recognizing these signs is important for addressing potential mental health issues.

It can be challenging to differentiate between a normal response and an exaggerated one that may indicate a mental health condition. Think of it like a physical wound: over time, a minor wound heals on its own without needing a doctor's intervention. However, if the wound gets infected, doesn't stop bleeding, or worsens, you know it's not normal and requires medical attention.

Similarly, with mental health, it's natural to react to difficult situations, such as the death of a loved one, job loss, or financial hardship. We expect to be affected by these events. However, if your emotional response doesn't improve over time, if healing isn't happening, or if you constantly feel unable to adapt, it might indicate a mental health issue. Persistent symptoms, such as prolonged depression or dark thoughts, especially suicidal thoughts, are signs that it's not a normal reaction and professional help is needed.

Lack of insight is a common issue in clinical situations. Some people may not want to accept their condition due to shame, or because they are unaware of their symptoms, as seen in conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Even with depression, anxiety, or phobias, some individuals may not acknowledge their mental health issues due to the stigma of appearing weak, or needing medical intervention.

To help, adopt a non-judgmental and supportive approach. Judgment from others often prevents people from accepting their situation. By accepting and offering support, you can make a difference. Sometimes, just one meeting with a psychiatrist or psychologist can help them warm up to the idea of seeking help. It's important to convey that speaking to a professional doesn't mean they will be labeled, diagnosed, or forced into unwanted treatments. A sensitive, non-judgmental approach can encourage them to accept their condition and seek the help they need.

If one has exhausted all the known available resources and coping strategies, and they are not effective enough, it is always good to seek advice from a professional. If the symptoms are mild and manageable, without causing any major functional impairment, one can wait until the storm passes, hoping things would fall into place spontaneously. But, if the symptoms are moderate to severe, cause pervasive feelings of hopelessness or helplessness, and functioning is grossly affected, clinical interventions should be considered.

This can often be difficult for most people, it is almost like a skill that one needs to learn over time. One size fits all is a myth, so speaking more generally, the following could help - setting priorities, delegating tasks, managing time better, defining the work schedule and sticking to it, and carefully guarding your downtime. Establishing clear communication with your managers and co-workers about your needs, and about the limits you wish to set is necessary, so that they know about your availability and response time during and after work hours.

Knowing your limits and capacity is important, so that you can recognize when stress is getting to you negatively and affecting your work performance. Not everyone burns out in a similar fashion, burnout may look different for different people, so understanding your own body and brain’s stress response helps you identify early signs and goes a long way in preventing a full-fledged burnout. Taking breaks from time to time, getting adequate rest and sleep, setting realistic and achievable targets, setting boundaries with work, engaging in regular exercise and physical activities, eating a balanced diet, and staying connected with loved ones are ways to combat overwhelming stress and burnout.

Stress could manifest differently in different people, some common indicators could be changes in sleep patterns (either sleeping less or too much), mood swings, easy irritability, decreased productivity at work, frequent headaches or buildup of muscle tension in any part of the body with no clear medical explanation, increased use of cigarettes or alcohol, resorting to food for comfort, or using other unhealthy mechanisms to feel better instantaneously.

Very basic things could help, such as proper diet, an exercise routine, allocating time for working and time for resting, maintaining a healthy sleep wake schedule, connecting with loved ones, making time for things you enjoy, and practicing calming techniques like meditation/breathing/mindfulness/muscle relaxation exercises on a regular basis.

One does not need hours to practice mindfulness, even 10-15 minutes a day is enough, consistency is important, it can be done as one wakes up or just before going to bed, or any other quiet time of the day, and can be practiced anywhere, at home or in office. Like any other skills we learn, we get better with practicing it in time, if we are doing it regularly, and not just in periods of distress.