What’s happening to so many of us right now, and what actually helps?
If the past several months has left you feeling anxious, unable to sleep, or just persistently off, you are not alone. Across Montgomery County, people who would not typically describe themselves as struggling are struggling. The clinicians at our practice are hearing it every day. From DOGE layoffs to job uncertainty, to skyrocketing costs, to global unrest and domestic political tensions, so many otherwise grounded adults are finding that their usual coping strategies are falling short. The stress can feel like a low-grade, relentless pressure that doesn’t let up. There are reasons for that, and they are worth exploring.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS MOMENT
Previous stressful periods tended to be event driven. A recession, a health crisis, a specific news cycle. This moment feels different because the stressors are cumulative, ambient, and arriving through every screen in our lives simultaneously. The nervous system wasn’t designed for sustained exposure at that volume, and for many people it is showing.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING MOST OFTEN
Difficulty sleeping, such as waking at three in the morning with the mind already running or lying awake with a hum of worry that won’t resolve. Persistent low mood or flatness that has lasted longer than it should. A sense of financial unease even among people whose finances are technically stable. Worry about job security, savings, what the future holds for our children. Tension in close relationships, sometimes over values, sometimes simply from the accumulated weight of shared stress. And the particular exhaustion of following news compulsively while finding it impossible to look away.
The result is that the body’s stress response runs longer than it was designed to sustain.
WHAT ACTUALLY HELPS
The most important thing to understand is that you don’t need to be in crisis or have a mental illness to benefit from support. Therapy is most effective when it begins before someone has hit a wall, while there is still enough bandwidth to do the work of understanding what is happening and building the resources to manage it.
A few things that genuinely help, regardless of whether professional support is part of the picture:
Limit exposure deliberately. This means more than just “take a break from the news.” It often can mean designating specific times and spaces that are news-free and holding to them. The platforms are designed to keep you engaged. Choosing when you engage is an act of self-protection.
Maintain structure. Routines are neurologically regulating. Regular mealtimes, consistent sleep schedules, and ordinary household expectations signal to the nervous system that life is still predictable, even when the broader world doesn’t feel that way.
Talk to someone. This sounds obvious, but many people are privately carrying significant stress while presenting as fine to everyone around them. The simple act of saying out loud what you are actually experiencing to a friend, a partner, a therapist can reduce its weight.
Pay attention to how long the feelings last. A few weeks of disrupted sleep or low mood during a stressful period is normal. Several months without improvement is worth taking seriously. The body is good at signaling when it needs more support than it is getting. It’s worth listening.
This is a hard period for a lot of people in our community. If you’ve been feeling out of sorts, it’s time to take self-care more seriously. If you’ve been looking for a sign that it’s time to ask for help, perhaps this is it.
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Dr. Elizabeth Carr is a clinical psychologist and the founder and clinical director of Kentlands Psychotherapy, a private mental health practice serving Montgomery County since 2005. The practice offers individual and couples therapy, psychological testing, and psychiatric medication services, with evening, Saturday, and weekend availability. kentlandspsychotherapy.com
