When stress mounts, do you really have to look for sugar to keep you going? Not necessarily: breathing, moving and then allowing yourself to calm down can help you get through occasional stress. In “It’s going much better” on RTL, published on October 6, 2026, Dr Jimmy Mohamed, doctor and presenter, also insists on one point: invasive stress can be treated with help.
Stress is normal, but it becomes a warning signal if it boils over
Dr Jimmy Mohamed begins by recalling that stress is not, in itself, an anomaly. It is a reaction of the body to a constraint or danger. This idea is also recalled by the World Health Organization in its question and answer on stress: occasional, it can be part of everyday life; too intense, long-lasting or invasive, it can harm well-being.
In the show, the doctor takes a very concrete example: while driving, a person who misses a priority can trigger disproportionate anger. Instead of getting carried away, he says, we can try to “break” the build-up of tension with a breathing exercise. The idea is not to deny the emotion, nor to blame yourself for being stressed, but to regain a little control in a brief situation.
The use of sugar in these moments does not have to be a matter of guilt: it can correspond to a search for immediate relief. But if the objective is to have other options, the reflexes proposed by Dr Jimmy Mohamed are mainly aimed a one-off, identified stress, which increases in the moment.
Breathe, move, listen to music: three punctual reflexes
First reflex mentioned: breathing. Dr. Jimmy Mohamed suggests inhaling deeply for 5 seconds, holding the breath, exhaling, then repeating 3, 4, or 5 times. He presents this as a form of cardiac coherence intended to reduce the tension of the moment.
This formulation deserves a nuance: the French Federation of Cardiology, in its brochure Learning to manage your stress, describes instead slow and regular breathing, with inspiration and expiration without insisting on holding the breath. In practice, breathing slowly for a few minutes can help some people come downwithout promising an automatic effect. To go further, True Medical also details an anti-stress breathing exercise.
Second lever: physical activity. Dr Jimmy Mohamed uses a strong formula when he says that physical activity is a very good “anxiolytic” for everyday life. To be taken as an image, not as an equivalent to a prescribed medication. His advice is concrete: it is not essential to run, dancing or weight training can also be suitable. The benchmark given in the show is intensity: being out of breath, short of breath, with difficulty holding a conversation.
This benchmark can be useful, but the effort must remain adapted to the abilities of each person. In the event of cardiovascular or respiratory disease, chronic illness, pregnancy, functional limitation, resumption after a long sedentary lifestyle or with age, it is better to seek medical advice before aiming for sustained effort.
Third gesture cited after effort: music. According to the explanation given in the show, listening to popular music could help restore calm, in particular because it stimulates the reward and emotion regulation circuits. Worded carefully: music you love can become a soothing ritualespecially after moving. True Medical also returns to the potential benefit of listening to music to calm down.
Pervasive stress: when to seek help
The limit is essential: these actions do not replace a consultation when stress becomes lasting, invasive or interferes with sleep, work, relationships or daily life. Dr Jimmy Mohamed recalls that professionals can help, particularly doctors and psychologists, with therapies to reduce anxiety and de-dramatize certain situations.
He also calls for caution with anxiolytics taken long-term: according to him, they can be useful over a short period, but pose a risk of dependence and do not always resolve the underlying situation. This caution is consistent with the information from Health Insurance on the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults, which reminds us that treatment can combine psychotherapy and, depending on the situation, supervised medication treatment.
The doctor also mentions the possible use of antidepressants in certain significant anxiety disorders, even if the person does not feel depressed. No treatment should be started, stopped or modified without medical advice.. To better understand these medications, True Medical offers an update on anxiolytics should not be taken long-term.
If stress is accompanied by panic attacks, a marked impact, psychological exhaustion, felt depression or suicidal thoughts, it is no longer just a matter of “managing an increase in stress”: you must quickly seek help from a healthcare professional or emergency service.