Let’s face it: Life is stressful. Each of us faces our own unique challenges, but no matter what they are, we all know how it feels to be on-edge. To feel overwhelmed and nervous and tense and anxious all at the same time. You’ve been there, right?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like that feeling. I’ve spent more time in that on-edge headspace than I’d care to admit, which is why I do my best to limit my stressors at any given time.

Skills like planning ahead, managing expectations, and maintaining my mental health have gone a long way towards minimizing stress and keeping me away from the brink of despair. But no amount of preparation can keep us safe forever. No one is immune—certainly not me.

One thing I’ve found is that once I do get on-edge, it’s very difficult for me to back up. Even when the main source of my stress has been dealt with, the side effects linger. I can get on-edge in an instant, but getting off-edge is much more of a process.

It’s important to take the time to do that. Because being stressed all the time is extremely unhealthy and leads us down some dark paths. De-stressing takes time and effort, but I can think of a few reasons why it’s so worth it.

When I’m on-edge, everything seems like a big deal.

In technology, we have a term called “bandwidth.” It’s used to refer to the amount of data a particular channel can handle at one time. Once that channel starts to fill up, it gets to a point where it can’t handle anymore. And if it becomes overloaded, there’s a chance the whole network might just go down.

Just like data channels, each of our brains has a certain amount of bandwidth. We can only handle so much at a time: only so much stress, only so many tasks, and so on. When we’re on-edge, it’s an indication that our bandwidth is full or nearly full, and it doesn’t take much to push us past our breaking point.

There are times when I’ve got a lot on my mind and I think to myself, “I cannot handle one more thing occupying my attention right now.” If in that moment, someone asks me to do something—anything at all, even something really simple—it becomes too much. I can’t handle it. There just isn’t any more bandwidth to spare.

When we’re stressed, even the smallest triggers can set us off. It can be a stubbed toe, a botched food order, or a simple request from a coworker. Most days, it would be no big deal, but when we’re on-edge, everything feels like the end of the world. We aren’t equipped to deal with even the smallest of things because all of our mental energy is focused on our stress. And that’s no way to live.

Functioning in society requires at least a moderate amount of flexibility, the ability to adapt and face challenges. When we’re on-edge, we can’t do that. So rather than pressing on to the next task, we would do better to focus on calming ourselves down and freeing up some bandwidth first. Then, we’ll be better equipped for what!s next.

When I’m on-edge, I can’t do my best work.

It’s true that a reasonable amount of pressure (such as a deadline) can help spur creativity and good work. But if too much pressure is applied to a person, it starts to have an adverse effect. Stressed people don’t put out their best work because they aren’t able to focus on the task at hand.

When I’m on-edge, my stress is constantly in the back of my mind, taking up space and zapping precious mental energy that’s meant to be spent on more important things. I can’t even fully commit myself to fixing whatever’s causing my stress because the stress itself has become a problem. It’s a difficult cycle to break.

We all want to do the best job possible at the things we care about, right? If not, there would be no point in doing them. But in order to do our best, we have to be at our best. And we can’t be at our best if we’re crippled by anxiety.

The sad truth is that there are times when we just have to get things done. And there is no shame in getting something off your plate that is causing you stress. But if we’re always on-edge, moving from one late task to the next, just trying to stay above water, then we’re never going to thrive and make the contributions to the world that we’re meant to.

We can’t live constantly on-edge because if we do, we aren’t living up to all that we can be. Our stressed selves aren’t our best selves, and so we have to find a way to break free.

When I’m on-edge, I can’t be present with those I love.

This is my least favorite side effect of being on-edge. As much as these feelings might affect us, they also have a profound effect on those around us, especially those we’re closest to. They can feel the stress radiating off of us, and we end up creating a difficult environment for those we love.

My biggest issue with stress is the way it pulls me out of the moment when I’m tying to spend time with people. I might be eating dinner with family or just driving home with my wife, and I can’t focus on anything other than the source of my anxiety. I can’t hold a conversation or laugh at a joke or even look someone in the eyes because I’m so absorbed in whatever’s bothering me.

And that’s not how I want to be around my loved ones.

Stress is isolating, and it forces us deeper and deeper into our own heads. If we don’t find a way to escape it, we can eventually get to a point where the only thing we can focus on is our own troubles, even at times when we’re supposed to be focused on other people.

It’s not as simple as turning off a switch. If something’s got me on-edge at work, it doesn’t just stop existing when I leave the office. I carry it with me, even if I don’t want to, and it affects my interactions with the people I care about.

That’s why I have to find ways to back away from the edge, to break away from the anxiety, so that I am free to enjoy time with my wife, my friends, and my family. It’s the only way I’m able to be fully present and give them the time, attention, and care that they deserve.

Getting off-edge isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.

I wish there was a one-size-fits-all solution for dealing with these feelings when they come and moving past them. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. It’s a process, and it looks different for everyone.

The good news, though, is that you probably already have some idea of what works for you. You know what calms you down when you’re upset and what relieves you after a long, hard day. For me, it’s journaling and kicking back with my wife and our dog for some TV binging. For you, it might be a hot bath and a good book. Or a night on the town.

Whatever it is that helps you get off-edge, take the time to do it. You’ll feel better, you’ll perform better, and your loved ones will thank you. Isn’t that worth it?

Everyone gets on-edge sometimes, and there’s nothing wrong with being there. But there is something wrong with staying there, and that’s why we have to do what it takes to resolve the source of our stress and get ourselves back into a better headspace.

When we’re stressed, we feel weak, scared, and irritable. But once we break free from it, we return to a place of energy, hope, and contentment. That’s the place we want to approach the world from. And that’s the place we can be in if we put in the work to back away from the edge a little bit.