I still remember the day I truly felt the weight of stress. It wasn’t in my mind—it was in my body. I was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner, my toddler tugging at my sleeve, asking for a story. I smiled, but my thoughts were elsewhere: unfinished emails, bills to pay, deadlines looming like dark clouds. My shoulders were tight, my jaw clenched, my heart racing. I realized—stress wasn’t just a mental chatter; it had settled into me, quietly taking up residence.
Stress is the invisible companion so many of us women carry. According to the American Psychological Association, 77% of women report experiencing physical symptoms caused by stress, from tension headaches to digestive issues, fatigue, and insomnia. Chronic stress also raises our risk for heart disease and diabetes by nearly 30%, quietly reshaping our health over time.
Lou Holtz once said, “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” And isn’t that true? Women carry more than schedules and responsibilities—they carry emotional labor, expectations, guilt, and worry. Stress lives in the quiet moments, in the spaces between work and family, in the longing to “do it all and still be enough.”
But here’s the thing—stress can be felt, acknowledged, and gently released. I learned this slowly, in small moments. A deep breath before picking up my child. A pause before answering a demanding email. A journal entry that wasn’t about tasks, but about emotions. Somatic exercises that told my body it could let go. Slowly, the tension melted. My laughter returned. My focus sharpened. I began to notice the colors in the sunset again, the soft weight of my child in my arms, the quiet satisfaction of a day survived—not perfect, but whole.
Science confirms what we feel intuitively: chronic stress triggers cortisol, affecting sleep, memory, immunity, and even the way our brains connect. But studies also show that 10 minutes of daily mindfulness can reduce cortisol by 23%, helping restore clarity and calm. Small, consistent practices like deep breathing, journaling, movement, or even a mindful cup of tea can retrain the nervous system and create pockets of peace in a busy day.
So I ask you, dear reader: Where is stress quietly living in your life? What would it feel like to put it down, even just for a moment?
💬 Share your story below, or a small ritual that helps you release stress. Let’s inspire each other to carry less and live more.
