Alternative Ways to View Stress
Unburdening Our Bodies and Returning to Peace
Stress shows up in all of us—sometimes as tension, sometimes as chaos in the mind, and often as real physical discomfort. It can manifest as indigestion, tight shoulders, shortness of breath, or racing thoughts.
But what if stress isn’t the enemy?
What if stress is actually a message—a wise communication from your body, letting you know where you’re not at ease, where you need support, where you’re ready to grow?
In this blog, I want to offer you a different lens. A gentler, more embodied way to relate to stress—not as something to fight or manage, but as something to listen to.
Stress as a Message, Not a Threat
There’s a term called eustress—the kind of stress that pushes us toward clarity and solutions. It’s the body's way of mobilizing energy when something needs attention.
You already hold resilience within you. The nervous system was designed to return to regulation. But the key is not ignoring stress—it’s learning how to be with it, and how to unburden the body from carrying it longer than it needs to.
A Personal Story: The Day Everything Sped Up
Last year around this time, my husband was in a sudden bicycle crash. I rushed him to the hospital. In the car, my nervous system flooded with cortisol—my heart raced, my chest tightened. But I had a choice: to spin into panic, or to call on the inner tools I’ve cultivated over years of somatic work.
Here are the exact steps I took in that moment—and how they helped me (and him) move through it with grounded presence.
Six Steps to Unburden Stress
1. Breathe Deeply
In moments of stress, we default to shallow, rapid breath. I immediately dropped into deep belly breathing—and coached my husband to do the same. This calmed our systems and slowed time down just enough.
2. Seek Support
I called his best friend. I called our son. I had him talk to him on speakerphone while I focused on driving, breathing, and staying present. I didn’t isolate—I reached out.
3. Stay Present
It’s easy to spiral into “what if” or worst-case scenarios. Instead, I anchored myself into the moment. The breath. The road. My seat. My hands on the wheel.
4. Enlist a Team
Once we reached the hospital, I let the professionals take over. The nurses and doctors became my allies. I didn’t carry the weight alone—I let a support network form around us.
5. Tend to the Body
After the emergency passed, I gave my body what it needed: rest, nourishment, gentle movement, and nervous system care. Practices like Yoga Nidra, breathwork, and micro-movements helped me return to baseline.
6. Practice Gratitude
Even in the intensity, we found small places of grace. My husband began building strength in his non-dominant hand. I softened my voice. We both leaned into what could be gained from slowing down.
Want to know how resilient your nervous system really is?
I created a short, insightful Resilience Assessment to help you understand where you are—and how to return to calm more quickly.
Peace Isn’t the Absence of Stress
Peace comes from having the tools, the support, and the awareness to move through stress without letting it build a home in your body.
Your nervous system is designed to come back to balance. You don’t need to push through. You just need the right guidance to help your body remember how to return.
If you’d like a gentle, guided practice to begin this unburdening, I’ll send you a calming Yoga Nidra audio to support your reset.
Click here to receive the Yoga Nidra Practice straight to your inbox.
And if you’re curious about how to build resilience—not just in theory, but in your real day-to-day—I invite you to take the next step.
Take the Resilience Assessment here
(It takes just a few minutes and will show you how to support your unique nervous system right now.)
You are already resilient.
Let’s help your body feel it too.
Jennifer Degen
April 28, 2025
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