The Weight You Carry: Unpacking Invisible stress
What If the Stress That’s Wearing You Down Was Never Meant to Last This Long?
How often do you feel “on” even when nothing urgent is happening?
Not overwhelmed - just constantly activated.
Jaw tight, shoulders up, digestion off, sleep light.
Over time, that state starts to feel normal, even though it isn’t.
The human stress response was designed for short-term threats - respond, recover, reset. But modern work and life keep many of us in a constant state of activation.
The autonomic nervous system automatically shifts the body into fight-or-flight without us realizing it, and when that state lingers, the body moves into breakdown mode instead of build-up mode.
Not all stress is bad. We need healthy stress - eustress - to adapt and grow.
The problem is stress that never gives way to recovery. When cortisol stays elevated, it disrupts digestion, blood pressure, immune function, and physical recovery. One of the earliest signs this is happening is often digestive dysfunction.
The goal isn’t to eliminate stress - it’s to calibrate it. When stress is followed by recovery, the body adapts positively and becomes more resilient. When it isn’t, the cost accumulates quietly, showing up as fatigue, irritability, brain fog, and reduced capacity over time.
The healthiest leaders aren’t stress-free - they’re steady. They monitor how their bodies respond, deliberately create space for recovery, and allow their systems to return to balance so they can perform at their best.
This is your portion. Let’s grab hold of it.
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:
For the next week, try incorporating some of these habits to help bring your body back to homeostasis:
Breathe deep (Inhale through nose 5 seconds, Exhale through mouth 5 seconds); 3 minutes.
Perform Aerobic exercise for 5 days (30 minutes)
Label negative feelings - disarms unhealthy rumination on unproductive thoughts.
Speak positive words- healthy words bring healing to the bones, and replaces the negative ones.
Meaningful Hugs - with a friend, family, co-worker, with permission given. Science proves this simple act of appropriate physical touch is enough to help signal safety to the body and decrease distress.
REFLECTION:
What stress from your work day are you carrying home?
What stress from home are you carrying to work?
Are you ready to put into practice - health for your body - so you can be your best?
NEXT STEPS:
As you come along this weekly year-long journey, I invite you to a complimentary 90-minute taste at what it looks like to experience a Healthy Culture in your teams, organizations, and homes. Find out more about our Healthy Culture Seminar through this link.
->Want to get clearer, specifically, on your Physical Health?
Contact me via any of these communication mediums , I’m happy to help!
In your corner,
Darien
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