Why Your Stress Relief Isn’t Working—And What Actually Does
Let’s talk about stress.
Not the kind that disappears after a good night’s sleep or a weekend getaway.
I’m talking about the kind of stress that lingers…
…that keeps you up at night, that tightens your chest, that steals your energy, your focus, and your peace.
Here’s the truth:
Most stress relief tips you’ve been given are surface-level.
They might help you cope, but they don’t actually help you heal.
Why Stress Management Needs a Root-Cause Approach
When people feel overwhelmed, the typical go-to solutions are:
A glass of wine
A bubble bath
A night of Netflix
Maybe a yoga class if they’re feeling ambitious
While none of these are wrong (and hey, I love a good spa night too!), they don’t address the deeper issue. Because stress doesn’t just live in your mind — it lives in your nervous system, hormones, and gut.
If your body is stuck in “fight or flight” mode all day, those candles and bath bombs won’t cut it.
Let’s explore what actually works—especially if stress has become your new normal.
1. Regulate Your Nervous System Daily
Your nervous system is like your body’s stress thermostat.
When it’s stuck on high alert, everything feels overwhelming.
🌀 Try this:
Grounding: Stand barefoot on the earth for 10 minutes.
Box breathing: Inhale 4 sec → hold 4 sec → exhale 4 sec → hold 4 sec. Repeat.
Cold exposure: Even 30 seconds at the end of your shower can signal safety and resilience to your brain.
These are simple, but they work.
2. Balance Your Blood Sugar
Did you know blood sugar crashes can mimic panic attacks?
When you skip meals or live on caffeine and carbs, your body produces cortisol to “rescue” you. Over time, this exhausts your stress response system.
🍳 What to do:
Eat within 90 minutes of waking
Combine protein, fat, and fiber at every meal
Ditch the sugary snacks – they’re tricking your brain and stressing your adrenals
3. Support Your Adrenals (They're Tired, Too)
Your adrenal glands pump out cortisol during stress.
But when they’re constantly overworked, they stop keeping up—and you crash.
🌿 Key nutrients that help:
Magnesium (especially glycinate or threonate)
B vitamins (especially B5 and B6)
Adaptogens like ashwagandha or rhodiola (check with a provider before use)
This is functional medicine 101—support the system, don’t just suppress the symptom.
4. Create Margin in Your Day
One of the most healing things you can do?
Stop glorifying busy.
Your nervous system needs white space—downtime that isn’t filled with scrolling, emails, or multitasking.
🕊️ Build micro-pauses into your day:
A 10-minute walk without your phone
A “do nothing” window between work and dinner
Breathing or stretching between meetings
These shifts retrain your brain that you're safe, even when resting.
5. Reconnect to Meaning
Here’s the most overlooked (but powerful) strategy:
Find purpose again.
Chronic stress often leads to burnout because we feel disconnected from what we’re doing and why.
When you lose your “why,” your nervous system loses its anchor.
✨ Reflect on:
What truly lights you up?
What’s one small thing you can do today that feels aligned with your values?
Who do you want to become?
Purpose is medicine.
Final Thoughts: You Can’t Bubble Bath Your Way Out of Chronic Stress
Healing from stress isn’t about “doing more.” It’s about doing things differently.
It’s about supporting your biology, rewiring your brain, and creating a lifestyle that no longer runs on urgency and adrenaline.
You don’t need to accept burnout as your baseline. There’s a better way—and you deserve to feel calm, energized, and grounded again.
💬 Want help finding your root causes of stress and creating a plan that actually works?
I help people every day calm their system and feel like themselves again—with a science-backed, soul-supportive approach.
Comment reach out if you’re ready to get started. 💛