None of them need an app or a membership.
October 10 was World Mental Health Day. This year's theme: Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.
So let's start with a lived experience we hear constantly at CLS:
"I'm not bad enough for therapy."
You're showing up. Getting it done. Answering the emails, remembering the birthdays, keeping the plates spinning.
And you're also running on a kind of tired that sleep doesn't touch.
Not in crisis. Not okay either. Just… somewhere in the middle, waiting for things to get "bad enough" to count.
Here's the thing: "bad enough" isn't a line you cross. It moves every time you get close.
Why saying it out loud matters
A 2022 Lancet Commission reviewed the global evidence on mental health stigma. The most effective way to reduce it? Contact between people with and without lived experience. Real people saying what it's actually like (Thornicroft et al., 2022).
So saying "I go to therapy" without the disclaimer does more than you'd think.
Five small resets for the middle space
These aren't treatment. They're small, research-backed ways to give your nervous system a breather.
1. Cyclic sighing (5 minutes)
Inhale slowly through your nose.
Take a second, shorter inhale on top of it.
Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth.
Repeat for 5 minutes.
In a 2023 Stanford randomized trial, people who did this 5 minutes a day for a month got a bigger mood boost than people who did the same amount of mindfulness meditation (Balban et al., 2023).
2. A real micro-break (10 minutes or less)
A 2022 meta-analysis found that short breaks between tasks led to small but real gains in energy, and less fatigue (Albulescu et al., 2022).
The catch: it has to be an actual break. Stepping outside counts. Eating lunch away from your screen counts. Scrolling, inbox triage, and "switching to an easier task" do not. (Sorry.)
3. Hand over your heart
Touch helps calm a stress response, and you don't need another person to get the benefit. In a 2021 study, adults who got a hug or used self-soothing touch before a stressful task had lower cortisol afterward than adults who did neither (Dreisoerner et al., 2021).
Try a hand over your heart, or rubbing your arms, plus a few slow breaths. A hug from someone safe counts too.
4. Put on your song
Across 104 randomized trials, music lowered both physical signs of stress and how stressed people said they felt (de Witte et al., 2020).
This next part isn't from the research, but we strongly recommend it: pick a song you actually love. Volume is your call.
5. Walk it out
Stuck on a decision? Stanford researchers found people came up with more creative ideas while walking than while sitting. Treadmill or outside, it didn't matter (Oppezzo & Schwartz, 2014).
One catch: walking helped with "what are my options?" thinking. It didn't help with problems that have one right answer. So walk for the brainstorm. Sit for the spreadsheet.
What we do
CLS Counseling & Consulting, PLLC offers evidence-based individual therapy for adults dealing with burnout, anxiety, ADHD, and life transitions. Virtual sessions across Missouri & Illinois. Learn more about therapy for anxiety, stress, and burnout.
All sessions are online. CLS is in-network with most major insurance plans, and we'll verify your benefits before your first session.
No crisis required. You just have to be tired of handling it alone.
Book your free 15-minute consultation or chat →
Not sure who to choose? Take the Therapist Vibe Check.
Related reading
Sources
Albulescu, P., Macsinga, I., Rusu, A., Sulea, C., Bodnaru, A., & Tulbure, B. T. (2022). "Give me a break!" A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272460. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272460
Balban, M. Y., Neri, E., Kogon, M. M., Weed, L., Nouriani, B., Jo, B., Holl, G., Zeitzer, J. M., Spiegel, D., & Huberman, A. D. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(1), 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895
de Witte, M., Spruit, A., van Hooren, S., Moonen, X., & Stams, G. J. (2020). Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: A systematic review and two meta-analyses. Health Psychology Review, 14(2), 294-324. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2019.1627897
Dreisoerner, A., Junker, N. M., Schlotz, W., Heimrich, J., Bloemeke, S., Ditzen, B., & van Dick, R. (2021). Self-soothing touch and being hugged reduce cortisol responses to stress: A randomized controlled trial on stress, physical touch, and social identity. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 8, 100091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100091
Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142-1152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036577
Thornicroft, G., et al. (2022). The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health. The Lancet, 400(10361), 1438-1480. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01470-2
World Federation for Mental Health. (2026). World Mental Health Day 2026. https://wfmh.global/news/2026.26-08-11_world-mental-health-day-2026
About the author
Cassandra Sissom, LCPC, LPC, is the owner and clinical director of CLS Counseling & Consulting and a licensed therapist in Missouri (LPC) and Illinois (LCPC). She works with burned-out high achievers, leaders, first and oldest daughters, and adults with ADHD, online across both states. Meet Cassandra →
Last updated: October 27, 2026