What's Stress Got to do With it?

Stress. We all feel it. It shows up in our daily lives—in our relationships, work, health, and even in our thoughts when we’re trying to fall asleep at night. The truth is, stress isn’t something we can completely get rid of. However, understanding how it works can help us manage it more effectively.

Author Richie Norton once said that stress is “the black plague of the 21st century.” While that may sound a bit dramatic, it highlights a serious truth: stress is taking a major toll on our bodies and minds.

To grasp why stress can feel so overwhelming (and sometimes even physically painful), it helps to understand what’s happening inside us, especially in our brains and bodies.

What is Stress?

In simple terms, stress is your body’s way of responding to a perceived threat. Even if the threat isn’t life-or-death—like a tense conversation, financial pressure, or an overflowing to-do list—your brain can still react as if you're in danger.

Here’s an example: Imagine walking through a doorway and someone jumps out screaming as a prank. You scream, maybe flinch, or throw your hands up, and suddenly your heart is racing, your breathing is faster, and your body feels like it’s in overdrive. That’s your fight-or-flight (also called fight, flight, or freeze) system kicking in—a built-in survival response designed to help you act fast in unsafe situations.

The thing is, that system was meant for short bursts of danger (like running from a wild animal). But in today’s world, many of us stay stuck in that state of high alert (chronic stress) far too often. And when stress becomes chronic, it can start to affect nearly every system in your body.

Let’s break down what’s going on behind the scenes:

Our Body’s Stress Hormones

Cortisol: Often called the “main stress hormone,” cortisol raises your blood sugar and gives your brain a boost of energy to focus on the problem at hand. But it also tells your body to pause “non-essential” functions—like digestion and reproduction—so it can deal with the threat. That’s why chronic stress can cause things like digestive issues and hormonal imbalances.

Epinephrine (Adrenaline): This one kicks in fast. It makes your heart race and your blood pressure rise. It gives you that burst of energy to “fight or flee.”

Norepinephrine: Think of this as adrenaline’s partner. It helps sharpen your focus and keeps your body alert in the face of stress.

Under normal conditions, this response system turns off once the threat is gone. But when life keeps piling on the pressure, your body doesn’t get the message to relax—and that’s when stress starts to wear you down physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Understanding this is powerful. You’re not “overreacting,” and you’re not weak. Your body is doing exactly what it’s wired to do. The key is learning how to reset the system so you can move from survival mode into a space of peace, clarity, and well-being.

Why It’s Hard to Truly Rest These Days

The parasympathetic nervous system is the part of your body that helps you rest, digest, and recharge. It’s designed to kick in when the danger has passed—allowing your heart rate to slow down, your digestion to start back up, and your body to return to a state of calm.

But here’s the problem: many of us rarely give our bodies the chance to activate this natural relaxation system. We’re always “on.” Always plugged in. Constantly responding to messages, juggling family, work, relationships, and keeping up with what’s going on in the world. And let’s be real—it’s exhausting.

For women in midlife, this pressure doesn’t slow down. Research shows it often ramps up. Many of us are sandwiched between caring for aging parents and supporting our young adult children, all while navigating the emotional and physical changes happening in our bodies. It's no wonder we feel depleted.

This nonstop lifestyle makes it harder for the body to shift into rest mode, and over time, that takes a toll on our health, our energy, and even our sense of self.

Your Body Feels It All!

Here's one of the most important truths about stress: your body is extremely sensitive to it! Even if you are not in immediate physical danger, your body can't always tell the difference between a true threat and emotional overwhelm. Feelings like anger, worry, frustration, and anxiety? Your body reads thwm the same way it would read a life- or- death situation.

And when those stress signals continue firing day after day, they don't just fade away; they build up. Over time, chronic stress creates inflammation in the body, which is now known to play a role in serious health issues like autoimmune disorders, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.

That's why it's not just helpful, it is essential to find ways to bring your body back into balance and protect it from the long-term effects of stress.

The good news? You have more power than you think!

I have gathered several research-backed strategies that will help you activate your parasympathetic (rest-and-relax) system. These are simple, yet powerful practices to help your body shift out of survival mode and onto the path of healing and well-being.

Strategies to Activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System

• Deep, slow breathing

  Practice inhaling deeply through your nose for a count of four, holding for four, and exhaling slowly through your mouth for a count of six to eight seconds. This sends a signal through the body, telling it that it is safe to relax.

  
  

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Gently tense and release muscle groups, starting from your toes and working upward. This helps release stored tension in the body.

• Mindful Movement (Yoga, Stretching, or Walking)

  Gentle physical activity lowers cortisol and helps your body transition from "fight or flight" into "rest and digest."

• Gratitude Journaling

Writing down just three things you are grateful for each day can shift your focus away from stress and activate calming brain pathways.

• Connecting with Nature

  Stepping outside, feeling the sun on your skin, or walking barefoot in the grass has a grounding, calming effect on the nervous system.

• Listening to Calming Music

Music with a slow tempo (instrumental, classical, or nature sounds) helps slow your heart rate and reduce anxiety.

You Deserve to Feel Good Again!

Stress may be an inevitable part of life, but it doesn't have to run your life. When you understand how your body responds to pressure and learn how to gently guide it back to a state of rest, you begin to reclaim your energy, your peace, and your health.

These small, simple steps aren't just nice ideas; they are powerful tools that will help you reset, recharge, and show up fully for yourself and to the people you love. You are not meant to just survive in this season of your life; you're meant to thrive in it.

Start with one small shift today and give yourself the same care and compassion you so freely offer to others. You are worthy of rest. You are worthy of healing. You are more powerful than you know!