Deadlines, caring responsibilities, constant notifications, rising living costs, global uncertainty… it’s no wonder stress has become something of an epidemic.
What is stress, really?
At its core, stress is our body’s ancient survival mechanism — the fight, flight or freeze response — designed to protect us from danger. But while this response was helpful when our ancestors faced wild animals, today’s ‘threats’ are rarely life-or-death. Instead, they look like overflowing inboxes, difficult conversations, perfectionism, or the relentless pace of modern life.
✨ Our nervous system remains on high alert, making us jittery or exhausted.
✨ Our digestive system slows or becomes reactive — thanks to the intimate gut–brain axis connecting our enteric nervous system to the brain via the vagus nerve.
✨ Our immune system can weaken, leaving us more vulnerable to illness.
✨ Our hormones may become imbalanced, affecting mood, sleep, and menstrual cycles.
It’s no surprise then that chronic stress is strongly linked with anxiety, depression, digestive issues, high blood pressure, autoimmune conditions, and even heart disease — all well supported by science.
“Between the stimulus and the response, there is a space. In that space lies our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor Frankl
How can we respond?
The good news: while we can’t always change the world around us, we can change how we respond. By gently training and tending to our nervous systems, we can become more resilient — better able to meet daily stresses without being overwhelmed.
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