Why You Can't Think Your Way Out of Stress
Your body isn't broken - it's trying to keep you safe. But in order to heal, it needs to feel safe first.
We live in a world that praises productivity and mental resilience. We keep going and going. We're told to "calm down," "let it go," or "shift your perspective" when we're overwhelmed, anxious, or shut down.
But if you've ever tried to think your way out of stress and still felt wired, restless, or emotionally exhausted - you already know: it doesn't work.
That's because stress isn't just in your mind. It is stored in your body.
And the way out isn't by pushing through - it's by feeling safe again.
You're Not Overreacting - You're Overloaded
Your nervous system is built to protect you. When your body senses a threat (even if that threat looks like a full inbox, a deadline to meet, or a tense conversation), it shifts into survival mode.
That's your sympathetic nervous system - commonly known as the fight or flight response - taking action.
This reaction is automatic. You can't talk yourself out of it. It's deeply primal. A biological mechanism for survival.
Which is great when there's that saber-tooth tiger chasing after you and you need to quickly run away.
But if your nervous system doesn't get a clear signal that you're safe again, it stays stuck in that heightened state on high alert - long after the stressor has passed.
Safety isn't a Thought - it's a Feeling
The best way for your body to feel safe is by activating your parasympathetic nervous system - the part of your system responsible for rest, digestion, and healing. When you're in this 'rest and digest' state, your body can finally exhale.
And it starts producing hormones like oxytocin, known as the "safety and connection" or "love" hormone - something stress shuts down entirely.
What Helps You Feel Safe
Here's the truth:
You're not meant to live in constant tension and anxiety.
You're not meant to run on stress, skip meals, collapse into bed exhausted, and call that rest.
Feeling good isn't indulgent or a nice luxury to think about - it's how your nervous system knows it can finally relax and feel safe.
If you want to truly shift stress, your body needs:
- Pleasure: music that moves you, delicious food that nourishes you, warm sunlight on your skin, the smile on someone's face, a comforting hug from a loved one
- Presence: movement, nature, slowness, being in the moment instead of managing it
- Release: letting the stress move through your body instead of storing it in your shoulders, gut, or jaw
How to Actually Process Stress (instead of suppressing it)
Here are small but powerful ways to take action with your body:
- Go outside - even if just for a few minutes
- Move your body - walk, stretch, jump up and down (yes, really!)
- Shake it off - literally, shake your arms, legs, or hips to discharge stored energy
- Journal - get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper
- Talk to someone - connection is a nervous system regulator
- Eat when calm - digestion only works when you're in a parasympathetic state
- Wind down before bed - don't take your stress to sleep with you - give your body a buffer between being alert and time to rest
- Get adjusted - help support your body's nervous system
These are simple actions - but they speak directly to your nervous system in a language it understands.
Chiropractic Can Support Your Body's Stress Response
At Self-Trust, we understand that your spine and nervous system are central to how you experience stress - and how you recover from it.
Dr. John Sutherland uses precise, gentle spinal adjustments to:
- Reduce nervous system interference
- Support regulation between your brain and your body
- Help your system move out of chronic fight/flight
- Strengthen your body's ability to return to calm faster over time
We don't just treat symptoms - we work to support your entire system, so you're not stuck in a loop of reacting. You learn how to return to yourself.
Your Stress is Real - but so is the way out
You don't need to cope with stress forever.
You don't need to override your body or stay in survival mode just to function.
You can move through stress - with your body on board.
And we're here to support you.
Book your chiropractic appointment with Dr John Sutherland
Come back into your body. Your calm is closer than you think.
