11 Stress-Management Tips From Your Favorite Disney Movies

Stress is an all-too-familiar feeling for people right now. Every time we turn on the news or scroll through social media, there’s always some impending doom topic over-saturating our feeds. And even though I don’t necessarily want to be that person who’s completely ignorant about the suffering of others, disassociating from reality can sometimes be the only way to cope with everything that’s going on in the world. So today, I wanted to share 11 stress-management tips from your favorite Disney movies, and hope that it’ll help you to “unplug” a little when things begin to feel overwhelming for you, too ❤️

*Disclaimer- I am not a mental health professional, and these are just friendly tips that are in NO WAY meant to treat or diagnose anyone. If you struggle with legit depression, anxiety, and other uncomfortable feelings that are controlling your life, I highly advise that you seek real medical support.

Tip 1: Don’t Obsess Over the Unknown

Marlin from Finding Nemo has PTSD after the tragic loss of his wife, which causes him to be so stressed that his anxiety shoots the roof anytime his son, Nemo, is out of his sight. The poor guy even displays symptoms of OCD 😥

Anyone experiencing the same situation would likely be scarred similarly to Marlin. However, he eventually learns that you can’t live your life in fear. Every day, we take risks just by getting out of bed, but that doesn’t mean we have to let the fear of the unknown dictate our lives altogether. With all of the uncertainty in the world right now, you may be stressing about the unknown, which is entirely valid, but try not to let it control your life. Just keep swimming and moving forward, my friend.

Tip 2: Find a Reason to Be Glad

If I had to pick a list of Disney role models, Pollyanna would definitely make the cut! Pollyanna’s an orphan who grew up very poor, yet she’s filled with so much hope and light that she inspires every person she meets. She’s constantly playing the “glad game,” where she aims to find something to be glad about in every situation. She’s a great reminder that we might not be able to control our circumstances, but we can certainly make the most of them and enjoy our time on this Earth.

Tip 3: Get Outside!

During the pandemic, my doctor informed me that a 15-minute outdoor walk under the trees can reset my cortisol levels, so unless there’s a dangerous storm out, I prioritize getting outside and enjoying a nice walk while catching up on podcasts.

Pocahontas reminds us how grounding nature can be (the girl is literally barefoot throughout the entire film, so she pretty much coined the term “touch grass” after all), and we all need a little reminder now and then that there’s more to life than emails, newsfeeds, and super long to-do lists.

Tip 4: Stop Stressing Over the Small Stuff

In The Lion King, Simba learns that he can’t escape his problems, which is an important lesson in itself. He also learns from his new pals Timon and Pumba that you don’t need to dwell on the past or sweat the small stuff in life.

We all face big challenges and have responsibilities that we cannot ignore, but small things like not completing our tasks for the day or ruining a pasta recipe that looked way easier on Pinterest are not worth getting upset over. It’s also not worth stressing over things we cannot control in this world.

Tip 5: Let Yourself Be in Your Feelings

Now, I know I just said we don’t need to sweat the small stuff, but sometimes, life truly has HARD moments, and in those moments, it’s OK to let yourself be in your feelings (assuming those feelings aren’t hurting others, obviously).

In Inside Out, we learn that constantly pushing away sadness isn’t necessarily the solution. When Riley was able to embrace her sad feelings, it showed her parents that she needed extra love and support, which led to her feeling happy again.

If you’re truly feeling down, don’t hesitate to reach out to people you trust or a therapist for support.

Tip 6: Try a New Hobby!

I recently developed a new interest in baking bread, which is why I’m mentioning Princess Tiana, a cook and baker, here, but of course, there are many Disney characters with all sorts of hobbies. My other hobbies include drawing, singing (if that counts??), and barre, and while I’m pretty consistent with the barre, I tend not to make as much time for drawing (even though I want to) because I always feel that I have to be doing something productive for whatever reason. That’s why bread-making has worked well for me so far; it’s fun and works in my meal-prep routine.

ANYWAY, having a hobby or a new skill you want to work on not only makes for a great distraction but also provides you with the feeling of accomplishment, and you might even discover that you have a hidden talent through the process. Cooking and baking eventually resulted in Tiana opening her restaurant, so you never know where your new hobby could take you!

Tip 7: Enjoy Your Life (And Don’t Feel Bad About It!)

We all know that in Tangled, Rapunzel has an awful mother who keeps her locked away in a tower day in and day out. Once Punzie’s able to escape and touch grass for the first time ever, she’s overwhelmed with mixed feelings of joy and guilt. On the one hand, she’s so happy to be free, yet she’s scared that she is doing something wrong by enjoying it.

Sometimes, in this day and age, people almost feel bad about enjoying everyday things in life, as if they’re doing something wrong by not constantly working themselves into the ground. Well, I’m just here to remind you that life is meant to be enjoyed! You were not meant to be a prisoner to a soul-sucking job 24/7 and have no life outside of work. Plain and simple.

Tip 8: Don’t Compare Your Life to Others

One of the reasons I love Lilo and Stitch so much is that the movie shows a pretty accurate view of adult life, and adult life is not always easy. Nani has a ton on her plate between trying to work a full-time job while also being Lilo’s guardian and adopting a new “dog” in Stitch. Nani tries her hardest, and she deserves the “World’s Best Big Sister” award, but even she has her moments where she wants to pull her hair out.

In today’s world, it’s easy to compare ourselves to people online, but let’s keep in mind that Instagram is just one big highlight reel. It’s not an accurate portrayal of real life, so try not to compare yours to others. We’re all just doing our best.

Tip 9: Remember That We’re All Connected

The more time passes, the more we’ve developed this “us vs. them” mentality and forget to care about others. Brother Bear teaches us to see things from other people’s perspectives, to have empathy, and that seeking revenge can backfire. Of course, there will always be situations where some people are just flat-out evil, but I’m not referring to those. I’m talking about everyday people who likely mean well and that we can have human-to-human connections.

Tip 10: … And That Your Worth Goes Way Beyond Your Career or Title

In the movie Soul, Joe believes that a spark is a soul’s purpose in life. This could be compared to how some people think that achieving a particular career milestone or title has fulfilled their true purpose in life. Throughout the movie, however, he learns that a soul’s purpose goes beyond that. Life has a purpose in every moment, and even though there’s nothing wrong with aiming to have a career you love, your self-worth isn’t tied to it.

TLDR: Happiness is a journey, not a destination, so enjoy all of the little moments in life because those are what give it purpose!

Tip 11: Positive Change is Possible

In Wall-E, the world looks deplorable, like a giant cesspool of waste, and quite possibly a vision of our future. However, towards the end of the movie, the humans re-discover gardening, which symbolizes the Earth’s re-capability of sustaining life.

Now, I’m not saying we should trash the Earth left and right, and we do need a significant overhaul if we want to salvage things, but I like to believe that positive change is possible. Maybe that makes me slightly too optimistic for my own good, but having a little hope (with a dash of disassociating from reality) is what’s helping me get by these days.

Does watching Disney movies instill a little hope in you? What’s your favorite stress-management tips from these films? Share in the comments below!

Another Disclaimer

I know I already mentioned something similar in my disclaimer above, but I wanted to say this again for the people in the back: if you regularly find yourself in situations where it’s simply not easy to “stop stressing” or “stop obsessing” about different things that are making you feel a certain type of way, please seek professional support.

There’s way too much stigma surrounding mental health these days, and the truth is that it’s NOT a one-size-fits-all matter. Some people can’t just turn off those uncomfortable feelings. It’s like how I always say: just because we all experience sadness sometimes doesn’t mean we’re all depressed, and if you are depressed, there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting the professional support you need. You deserve to be happy, after all!

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