I want
... to manage stress and anxiety in healthier ways
Learn neuroaffirming ways to manage stress and anxiety with Novita’s supportive, evidence-based strategies for emotional wellbeing.
Everyone experiences stress and anxiety, they’re natural human emotions.
They remind us that something in our lives truly matters. But when they become overwhelming, they can affect how we sleep, communicate, and connect.
The goal isn’t to eliminate uncomfortable emotions altogether — that’s known as the happiness trap — but to learn ways to move through them with compassion. Managing stress and anxiety is about calming the body, steadying the mind, and staying connected to what’s important.
Managing stress and anxiety means learning how to respond, not react. It can feel hard at first — especially when emotions are intense or unpredictable.
Instead of fighting these feelings, we need to focus on living and working with them. When we can name emotions without judgment and understand that they won’t always be there, we can start to build the resilience needed to face life’s ups and downs with steadiness and strength.
For many people with disabilities and their families, life can include extra layers of stress, from managing appointments and life changes to navigating systems and balancing sensory or emotional needs.
Stress and anxiety can appear in many ways:
These practical strategies aim to calm the body, steady the mind, and support emotional regulation in everyday life.
Mindfulness means noticing the present moment that you are in. Realising and acknowledging your thoughts, sensations, and emotions, without trying to change them. It’s all about being in the moment. An example is “I’m feeling anxious right now, and that’s okay.”
Grounding techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) can help interrupt racing thoughts and bring you back to calmer state.
This may sound difficult, but you can try a five senses check-in. This means name one thing you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Or practise mindful breathing, focusing on the rhythm of each inhale and exhale.
You can try labelling your emotions and telling yourself that they are a current feeling, that will pass. For example "I feel frustrated" instead of "I am frustrated.”
This creates a distance between us and the emotion, which can help to reduce the intensity of it.
You might want to create a calm kit filled with things that soothe your nervous system. This could be a soft blanket, headphones, music, or sensory objects. Deep pressure, movement, or calming visuals can all help. A calm ki will look different for everyone, so experiment until you discover what feels grounding and effective for you.
Our minds often predict danger or imagine the worst case scenario. When you challenge unhelpful thoughts you pause and ask yourself if this is real. For example, “Is this fact or fear?” or “Is there another way to see this?”
By exploring thoughts with curiosity instead of criticism, we make space for flexible thinking and realistic perspectives. This is a skill that helps to reduce the intensity of anxiety over time.
We can’t always control what we feel, but we can choose how we respond. Focus on what’s within your control and let your values guide your actions. Your values might be kindness, curiosity, learning, or connection.
For example, if you value connection but feel nervous about attending a social event, if you decide to go to the event, even for only a short period, that helps to place the importance of that value in front of the anxiety.
Taking small, achievable steps towards a goal can create structure and hope. This strategy, focuses on effort instead of outcomes.
If your goal is to ride a bike, practising in the driveway counts as success. Celebrate every step that you take working towards that goal and sitting on the bike could be your first step. Progress builds momentum and momentum builds confidence.
Remember: everyone’s strengths and capacities are different. Actions should always be individualised, realistic, and values-aligned.
Being calm is contagious. This means that when caregivers stay regulated, children’s nervous systems can copy this and it helps them to settle. This is a process known as co-regulation.
Simple ways to co-regulate include:
Regulation is a shared process and it helps to strengthen trust, safety, and emotional wellbeing for everyone involved.
Novita partners with individuals and families to build independence in ways that respect identity, goals, and personal pace. Our team works across home, school, work, and community settings to provide flexible, strengths-based support.
These trusted resources provide additional tools and information to support mental wellbeing and emotional resilience.
If you would like to find out more about managing stress and how we can support you or your family, please contact us.
