People get the wrong idea about stress because of the negativity surrounding it, which happens when you have too much of it. If you’ve read this far, it’s likely that at some point your stress bucket overflowed.
Flipping the coin, if not enough stress is applied, you will stagnate and decline. If you don’t move or lift weights, your muscles will shrink. If you do, flex time is more enjoyable.
The tricky part is finding the middle ground, but that’s not the only challenge. Life, environment, and other uncontrollable factors pour stress in by the gallons. Have you ever overreacted when you’ve been cut off in traffic?
That’s a small sign your stress bucket is full.
If you’re feeling stressed, what do you do about it? Because neither you nor life is going to let up. Coming up, I’ll discuss what stress is, the warning signs it’s on overload, and how to empty your bucket.
What Is Stress?
A stressor is something that disrupts homeostasis, which is a state of dynamic equilibrium. Stress is our body’s reaction to any demand or threat. All stress, great and small, good and bad, produces a stress response. The stress response exists to get your attention, manage internal or external threats, and return you to homeostasis as quickly as possible.
There are many stressors, both good (eustress) and bad (distress), including:
Physical: Exercise, smoking, and injury.
Mental: Anxiety, decision fatigue, and poor mindset.
Emotional: Shame, guilt, and anger.
Social: Isolation, rejection, and a lack of belonging.
Existential: Apathy, and worrying about your place in the world.
Environmental: Noise, chaos, and stormy weather.
All these stressors add up, filling up your bucket. The stress bucket is called allostatic load. When your bucket’s full and nothing’s emptying, it’s only a matter of time before it overflows.
Next are signs that your stress is on overload.
The Stress Warning Signs
When we respond and recover, stress makes us better, the sweet spot mentioned earlier. But when stress persists over a long period, say hello to chronic stress.
Chronic stress is like a slow leak in your body’s battery. Every day, you drain energy from the systems that control your mood, focus, hormones, and recovery. When life keeps you in a constant “go” mode, these systems never get a chance to reset. Over time, this ongoing grind becomes your new normal — and that’s not good.
Contributors to chronic stress aren’t obvious things like a demanding boss or a health scare, although they never help. They’re the constant micro-stressors — endless notifications, skipped meals, doomscrolling before bed, or living in a low-grade state of hurry. If you then add poor nutrition, lack of movement, and social isolation, you’ve built the perfect recipe for overload.
Warning signs your stress is on overload include: you wake up tired no matter how much you sleep, your motivation tanks, your workouts feel heavier than usual, and your recovery window stretches longer than it used to. You may notice brain fog, irritability, or that wired-but-tired feeling where your mind races but your body feels drained.
Other signs include increased belly fat, frequent colds, stubborn plateaus in strength or fat loss, or a general “flatness” that no amount of caffeine or motivation seems to fix.
When your allostatic load reaches its limit, it’s not about weakness; it’s about biology. The solution isn’t another energy drink or a challenging workout; it’s about learning to hit pause before your body forces you to.
3 Ways To Empty Your Stress Bucket
Some deal with chronic stress, with getting blasted or tucking into a tub of ice cream. It may feel good, but doing that only adds to your stress. The following are the advice and methods my clients and I use to reduce stress.
Choose one that works for you and stick with it.
Breathing Techniques for Relaxation
Creating the right environment for deep breathing is essential. Find a quiet space, and focus on your breath. Imagine this as your mini-retreat – a moment just for you.
Breathing Basics: Observe your current breathing patterns. Are you breathing shallowly or deeply? Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, is the goal here. Place a hand on your belly, breathe deeply through your nose, and feel your belly rise. Exhale through your mouth and feel your belly fall.
Here’s the finer details.
Inhale Slowly: Breathe in deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise. Imagine you’re filling your lungs from the bottom up.
Exhale Gently: Breathe out through your mouth, letting your belly fall. Picture letting go of all the tension with each exhale. Try to exhale for longer than you inhale. Counting to ten works well. Practice this for a few minutes each day, and you’ll notice a difference in your mood.
Smarter Training
Training should reduce stress, not add to it. However, many treat workouts as if they are going to war. That “go hard or go home” attitude may seem motivating, but when life is already tough, your nervous system can’t tell the difference between a heavy squat and a heated argument — it just feels stress.
Here’s what to do instead.
Cycle Intensity: Think of your training like a volume knob, not an on/off switch. You can’t blast it at full volume all the time without hurting your ears. Mixing intense, moderate, and deload weeks gives your muscles and nervous system room to recover, adapt, and come back stronger. A simple rhythm — two hard weeks, one moderate, one light- keeps your body responding instead of rebelling.
Track Recovery Markers: Your body sends signals when you’re about to crash and burn. Resting heart rate creeping up? Trouble sleeping? Feeling flat when you start your warm-up? Those are dashboard lights flashing “Ease up.” Tools like heart rate variability can help, but simple daily check-ins — energy levels, mood, and motivation — tell you whether your training is fueling you or draining you.
Ditch the Guilt: Rest days are golden, and they’re progress in disguise. Taking a day off to walk, stretch, or do nothing isn’t weakness — it’s recovery. Recovery rebuilds tissue, restores hormonal balance, and resets your nervous system.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Dr. Edmund Jacobson developed PMR in the 1920s, and it’s been a stress relief staple ever since. The technique involves systematically tensing and then releasing muscle groups, helping you become more aware of physical sensations and teaching your body how to relax.
The benefits? PMR can reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and lower blood pressure. It’s like a spa day for your muscles.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started:
Find a Comfortable Position: Sit or lie in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
Take a Few Deep Breaths: Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth to settle in.
Tense and Relax: Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as possible. Hold for about 5 seconds, then release. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation.
Move Up the Body: Gradually work your way up, moving to your calves, thighs, abdomen, chest, arms, and face. Tense each muscle group for 5 seconds, then release it. Repeat for all muscle groups.
As you practice, focus on the sensation of relaxation spreading through your body. With each exhale, let go of any lingering tension.
Wrapping Up
When we are over-stressed, we see no way out other than sucking it up. That may work for a while, but it will whack you in the head. Instead, taking time to check in with yourself and being kinder to yourself works wonders in reducing your stress load.
However, this is only scratching the surface. If you want the complete list, I have a complimentary stress and relaxation E-Book that I’ll put right in your inbox. Fill out the subscribe form at the top right of this post or click here.
See you on the other side.
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