Founder’s Corner: A Month of Stress, Growth, and Regulation

(This article is for you, those of you feeling the harshness of the world and need a safe place to land).

Over the past month, our practice moved into a larger office suite. On paper, it was an exciting step forward. We were growing. Opportunity was tapping our shoulder and there was space for possibility. In reality…the process also became a powerful lesson in stress and the nervous system.

Adding an office involves hundreds of decisions, unexpected obstacles, financial considerations, and constant logistical puzzles. What surprised me most wasn’t the workload itself, but how stress quietly showed up in the body and mind along the way.

Stress rarely announces itself by saying, “Hey lady, you’re stressed out.”
More often it appears in subtler ways.

It can look like exhaustion that sleep doesn’t quite fix. Irritation that surfaces faster than usual. Racing thoughts that crowd out the big picture. Questioning decisions that once felt clear. Avoiding things that normally wouldn’t feel overwhelming. Even relationships and familiar environments can be sensed as constriction.

Stress can feel like those favorite pants that feel too tight after a big meal. The food arrives, and the plate is big. You keep nibbling away even though you were already full 10 minutes ago. When the meal ends, you’re left feeling uncomfortable, maybe even a little regretful. Stress can feel similar in the nervous system: too much input, too many decisions, and the body quietly signaling that it has reached capacity.

What I was noticing this past month wasn’t simply “being busy.” It was my nervous system working overtime.

From a neuroscience perspective, when the brain perceives prolonged pressure such as deadlines, uncertainty, major transitions, it activates survival-oriented circuits. The amygdala increases threat detection, stress hormones such as cortisol rise, and the body shifts into a state designed to help us respond quickly to challenges. This response is incredibly adaptive, and quite intelligent in short bursts. However, when it stays switched on for too long, it begins to affect mood, concentration, sleep, and even how we interpret situations around us.

In other words, the body keeps track of what we move through. Long before we consciously say, “I’m overwhelmed,” our physiology has often been responding for quite some time.

And of course, this past month hasn’t felt intense only on a personal level. Many people I speak with lately describe a similar underlying tension: concerns about the economy, financial stress, global events, and the general pace of modern life.

I’m not usually one to follow the stars, but with all that’s been going on, I could not help but look for answers. Turns out…February through March has been astrologically dramatic, with a total lunar eclipse, a rare full-planetary alignment, and Mercury in retrograde. Anyone else finally understanding what that actually means? Of all the months to move! Whether someone follows astrology closely or simply appreciates the symbolism of cycles, moments like these often invite reflection. They remind us that we are living within larger rhythms, both in the world around us and within our own bodies.

One of the most important observations I had during this month was this: stress becomes harmful when we remain passive to it.

When stress accumulates in the nervous system without release or regulation, it begins to show up absolutely everywhere: in our health, our relationships, our thinking, and our sense of clarity. But when we actively engage in regulating our nervous system, something remarkable happens. Not only do we begin to feel better, we also strengthen resilience. Each time we move through stress intentionally, the nervous system learns a powerful lesson: I can do hard things.

I try not to get too personal in these articles, but this month, I feel compelled to share some genuine ways I managed my stress. Nothing profound here, but subtle reminders that simple things work. 

• One of the most powerful was simply getting outside. No brainer, I know…but walking in Garland Regional Park, feeling the ground crunch under my feet, and watching the sunrise while breathing in the cool morning air had a noticeably calming effect. Nature offers the nervous system something deeply recognizable. Space, Rhythm. Safety. 

• Here’s an easy one for all my pet-loving friends: Haku, Pip, and Colby. These are my furry friends. It’s difficult to stay tense when the dog is looking at you with anticipation and a tongue hanging out (“where we goin’ mom?”), or when the cat curls up beside you and begins that deep rumbling purr. Insert the image of my 18-pound tabby lugging on my lap like a weighted blanket and it’s hard not to feel relief. Research even shows that interacting with animals can lower cortisol and increase oxytocin, the hormone associated with bonding and calm.

• Journaling became another important outlet. Paragraphing the infamous Clint Eastwood, writing down “the good, the bad, and the ugly” thoughts slows the mind in a unique way. When thoughts move from swirling inside the head onto paper, they often lose some of their intensity. We get a bird’s eye view of our mind. We see our thoughts for what they are…just thoughts. AND…the nervous system benefits from that sense of release and organization.

• Movement and hydration also made a difference. Yoga for the win. Hanging suspended from an exercise bar. Who knew this would be such a release! Truthfully, exercise helps metabolize stress hormones and allows the body to discharge accumulated tension. Oh, and don’t forget drinking enough water which supports nearly every regulatory system in the body, including the brain.

None of these practices are complicated, but together they form a powerful message to the nervous system: you are safe enough to settle.

• Stress is an unavoidable part of living in our complex world. But silently carrying it isn’t necessary.

Our nervous systems are remarkably adaptive when we give them the support they need. Small daily acts of regulation: stepping outside, breathing deeply, writing, moving the body, connecting with animals or loved ones, send signals of safety back through the brain and body.

Over time, those signals build something important: resilience. And resilience isn’t the absence of stress. It’s the growing confidence that when difficult seasons arrive, we have the capacity to move through them with awareness, care, and strength.

One last word before I close this letter to you: Thank you. This community of readers (clients, friends, and family) make the difference. For quietly reading this article in the background. For showing up with prayer and words of encouragement. Thank you for your well wishes, your support, and your care. Even without hearing your words, I know you are there. 

We are here for each other. We are all connected. We are overcomers in this vast, endless journey through life. We will overcome it together.

~ Linnea