Tune In to Stress 🛎️

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response." — Viktor Frankl

“Stress is the body’s call to action. A nudge, a warning, a demand for change. It’s your nervous system shouting, Hey, pay attention! To manage it effectively is to listen to this call without being overwhelmed by its urgency.”

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One day last summer, I realized I was waking up with my heart pounding.

My mind was clogged with looming deadlines, errands, and random chores, like a chaotic to-do list that never ended. Before I’d even brushed my teeth, I felt as if I’d sprinted a mile.

That raw jolt told me something was off in my hierarchical structure of daily priorities. It was an axiomatic moment: ignoring that tension would unleash havoc sooner or later.

It reminded me of something Gabor Maté often points out…

That our bodies can be the most honest teachers, forcing us to confront the areas in our lives that have gone off track. The shift wasn’t just about discomfort; it was a sign I needed to recalibrate my day in an incremental way.

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Try this. Simple. Direct.

When stress grips you—chest tight, pulse climbing—call it out.

Literally.

Say, “I feel tense.”

Then ask yourself, “What’s this tension trying to say?”

Write it down. One thing. Just one. Something you can do right now.

Step outside. Breathe for 30 seconds. Close your eyes. Do nothing.

That tiny pause is not magic. It’s a wedge, splitting the chaos just wide enough for clarity to slip through. A brief escape from the hamster wheel your mind keeps spinning.

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response." — Viktor Frankl

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Ever feel your body screaming at you, and you just... pretend not to hear it? Until, of course, it refuses to be ignored?

Or maybe you’ve found a sneaky way to flip that stress into something less destructive—something that actually helps.

Spill it.

Drop your thoughts in the comments. That one trick you’ve got, could be the lifeline someone else didn’t know they needed.

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Stress isn’t the villain.

It’s a blaring siren, shouting, “Hey, something’s gotta change!”

So, stop fighting it. Stop treating it like some evil force you have to crush.

Get curious. Sit with it. Ask yourself what it’s really trying to say. And maybe—just maybe—cut yourself some slack while you figure it out.

You’re stronger than you think. Smarter, too.

One small, deliberate shift can take that pressure and turn it into momentum. Not chaos. Not burnout. Just steady steps toward the things that actually matter.

— Ryan Puusaari

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