Learning To Meet and Manage Stress Head-On

Stress can have serious impacts on our health and wellness. Below, we look at what’s happening in the body when we feel stress and practical tips to manage our body’s

response.

Benjamin Franklin once said there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. We’d argue there are three: death, taxes, and stress. In this article, we’ll unpack stress’s impact on the body and explore practical ways to manage it when it shows up.

First, let’s normalize stress—you are not alone. Most of us walk around in varying states of

stress. Stress is a natural and important response to life. The problem arises when we live in a constant state of high stress, which can cause serious health concerns.

Before we look at strategies to manage stress, let’s understand what’s happening inside our

bodies.

Cortisol-The Stress Hormone

Cortisol is a hormone that plays a critical role in our health—and for good reason, it’s

become a buzzword. Cortisol regulates several essential processes in the body, including:

• Managing how our bodies use carbohydrates, fats, and proteins

• Keeping inflammation under control

• Regulating blood pressure

• Balancing blood sugar levels (glucose)

• Maintaining our sleep/wake cycle

• Boosting energy to handle stress and restoring balance afterward
  

When we’re stressed, our bodies release more cortisol. Stressful thoughts and emotions—fear, overwhelm, anxiety, or anger—sound an internal alarm that triggers cortisol production to help stabilize blood sugar, blood pressure, and other vital functions. Once the stress passes, cortisol levels usually return to normal.

When stress is constant, cortisol stays elevated. Prolonged high cortisol can derail many of the body’s most important functions, weakening immunity and contributing to chronic health issues such as:

• Increased susceptibility to viral illness

• Anxiety and depression

• Headaches

• Heart disease

• Memory and concentration problems

• Digestive issues

• Sleep disturbances

• Weight gain
  

Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. The question becomes: What can we do about it?

Managing Stress Instead of Avoiding It

For most of us, stress is woven into daily life. The very things that create stress—work, family, relationships—are often the same things that bring us meaning and joy. Since eliminating stress isn’t realistic, the goal is to learn to manage it.

Here are two powerful strategies:

1. Change Your Thoughts

Stressful thoughts alone can elevate cortisol and trigger a stress response. Since we can’t always change our circumstances, we can learn to shift how we think about them.

Changing your thoughts is both a skill and a habit. It doesn’t mean ignoring reality; it means

choosing your perspective. A glass that’s half empty is also half full. Both are true—but your

outlook shapes your experience. This shift takes effort, but the payoff is huge. You can:

• Take responsibility for your thoughts

• Tell a new story

• Choose your response
  

One especially effective mindset tool is gratitude. Gratitude has been shown to lower cortisol and calm the stress response. Try developing a daily gratitude practice—such as journaling three things you’re grateful for each day. You may be amazed at how therapeutic it can be.

2. Practice Deep Belly Breathing

Simple, but often overlooked. When you’re busy and stressed, your body defaults to shallow

breathing—signaling to your brain that you’re in fight, flight, or freeze mode. In contrast, deep, slow breathing tells your body you are safe, allowing the stress response to settle.

A practical way to build this habit: set a timer on your phone every hour and practice box

breathing for 5 minutes. Here’s how it works:

• Inhale for 4 seconds, expanding your belly

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 4 seconds

• Pause for 4 seconds
  

This cycle calms your nervous system, lowers stress, and promotes healing in the body.

Stress may be one of life’s certainties, but it doesn’t have to control your life. By understanding how our bodies respond and practicing simple, consistent strategies like reframing thoughts and deep belly breathing, we can train our mind and body to return to balance more quickly.

Remember, managing stress isn’t about eliminating it. It’s about building resilience so you can continue to show up fully for the people and purposes that matter most.

Here’s to living with calm, energy, and balance!