Stress, often described in Urdu as zehni dabao (ذہنی دباؤ), is the mind and body’s response to pressure or difficult situations. Short-term stress can help us respond to a challenge, but chronic stress can affect sleep, concentration, mood, relationships and physical wellbeing.
Dr. Saira Farhan provides stress management and burnout treatment in Karachi, with online appointments across Pakistan when suitable. Care is focused on understanding what is driving the pressure and building a realistic plan rather than offering generic advice to “just relax.”
Stress symptoms and common causes
Stress symptoms can be emotional, physical or behavioural. They may include:
- Constant worry, irritability, racing thoughts or feeling overwhelmed
- Difficulty concentrating, making decisions or completing ordinary tasks
- Poor sleep, persistent tiredness or waking without feeling refreshed
- Headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems or a racing heartbeat
- Withdrawing from people or losing interest in activities you usually enjoy
- Relying increasingly on caffeine, smoking, alcohol or endless scrolling to switch off
Common causes of stress include work pressure, long hours, financial worries, relationship conflict, caregiving, illness, major life changes, migration and feeling responsible for everyone else. When pressure continues without enough recovery, it can develop into chronic stress or burnout.
Burnout, depression or anxiety?
Burnout usually refers to exhaustion, growing distance or negativity towards work, and reduced professional effectiveness caused by chronic workplace stress. Depression and anxiety can affect every area of life and may continue even away from work. However, the symptoms can overlap, and a person can experience more than one problem at the same time.
A professional assessment can explore your mood, sleep, physical symptoms, workload and home life, while considering whether depression, anxiety, a sleep disorder or a physical health problem may also be contributing.
Easy ways to reduce stress daily
There is no instant way to “fix” stress, but small, consistent changes can make it more manageable. Useful stress management techniques may include:
- Identifying the main triggers and separating what you can change from what you cannot
- Breaking large tasks into smaller steps and setting clearer work or family boundaries
- Keeping regular sleep, meal and recovery times wherever possible
- Taking short breaks from news, work messages and social media
- Using slow breathing, stretching, mindfulness or another calming routine
- Speaking honestly with someone you trust instead of carrying everything alone
Regular movement can also help. The best exercises for stress relief are usually activities you can continue safely, such as walking, cycling, swimming, stretching or strength training. Exercise cannot remove the cause of stress, but it may reduce its emotional intensity and support sleep and mood.
How professional stress management can help
Therapy can help you recognise patterns that keep the stress cycle going, manage difficult thoughts and emotions, strengthen boundaries and respond differently to pressure. Treatment may also address perfectionism, guilt about resting, family expectations or the feeling that asking for help means you have failed.
As both an FCPS-qualified psychiatrist and a trained psychotherapist, Dr. Saira Farhan can assess whether therapy and practical changes are enough or whether another mental health condition needs treatment. Medication is not automatically required for stress or burnout. It may be discussed when significant depression, anxiety or another psychiatric condition is also present.
If sleep is the part that has not recovered, see Sleep & Insomnia Treatment. For longer-term talking therapy, see Psychotherapy.
Appointments in Karachi, across Pakistan and abroad
Appointments are available in Karachi and online across Pakistan. Dr. Saira Farhan’s clinical experience in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia helps her understand the cultural and family pressures affecting South Asian professionals, caregivers and families.
Overseas Pakistanis and South Asians living in the UK, United States, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands or the Gulf may enquire about an online appointment. Availability depends on your current location, clinical needs and applicable professional rules. Online appointments are not an emergency service.
Fees and booking
Appointments cost Rs. 6,000 and usually last 25–30 minutes. To book an in-person or online appointment, message +92 321 5588832 on WhatsApp.