Tune In to Stress ๐๏ธ
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response." โ Viktor Frankl
โStress is the bodyโs call to action. A nudge, a warning, a demand for change. Itโs your nervous system shouting, Hey, pay attention! To manage it effectively is to listen to this call without being overwhelmed by its urgency.โ
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 Iโd even brushed my teeth, I felt as if Iโd 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 Matรฉ often points outโฆ
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 wasnโt just about discomfort; it was a sign I needed to recalibrate my day in an incremental way.
Try this. Simple. Direct.
When stress grips youโchest tight, pulse climbingโcall it out.
Literally.
Say, โI feel tense.โ
Then ask yourself, โWhatโs this tension trying to say?โ
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. Itโs 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." โ Viktor Frankl
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 youโve found a sneaky way to flip that stress into something less destructiveโsomething that actually helps.
Spill it.
Drop your thoughts in the comments. That one trick youโve got, could be the lifeline someone else didnโt know they needed.
Stress isnโt the villain.
Itโs a blaring siren, shouting, โHey, somethingโs gotta change!โ
So, stop fighting it. Stop treating it like some evil force you have to crush.
Get curious. Sit with it. Ask yourself what itโs really trying to say. And maybeโjust maybeโcut yourself some slack while you figure it out.
Youโre 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.
โ Ryan Puusaari