Stress in the Body: When Bubble Wrap Meets Tight Shoulders

Yesterday, somewhere between dropping off a ton of luggage at the airport hotel where we were staying and chasing my daughter around the lobby, I realized my jaw was clenched so hard it could crack a walnut. My shoulders were practically ear muffs, and my breathing was shallow. I wasn’t even aware of it until my two‑year‑old looked up and declared, “Mama mad.” I wasn’t angry — I was physically carrying stress in the body like it was one more piece of luggage.

Back in college, I used to think stress was just in our minds; in reality, stress in the body often carries the first clues. According to the Mayo Clinic, common physical signs of stress include headaches, muscle tension or pain, chest tightness, fatigue, stomach upset and sleep problems. Harvard Health explains that these sensations arise because the autonomic nervous system flips into “fight‑or‑flight” mode, releasing hormones that speed up heart rate and breathing. That rush is helpful if you’re running from a polar bear; less so when you’re trying to wrangle luggage carts and toddlers.

Stress in the Body: Tips for Relief

Here are a few practices that have helped me loosen my grip:

• Name it and notice it. During a moment of stillness, scan from your jaw down to your toes. If you find tension, invite it to soften. Harvard experts suggest simply noticing and labeling sensations as “tight” or “warm” can interrupt the cycle of worry.

  
  

• Breathe like a penguin. Deep breathing exercises or yoga gently shift the nervous system toward “rest and digest.” Taking three slow inhales and even slower exhales calms your heart and mind. The Mayo Clinic notes that relaxation practices, including deep breathing and meditation, can lower stress symptoms.

  
  

• Move in small ways. A short walk, gentle stretching or even a kitchen dance party can release built‑up adrenaline. Physical activity helps relieve tension and returns your body to baseline.

• Laugh and connect. Talking to a friend, sharing a meme, or giving yourself permission to be silly interrupts the narrative that “busy equals worthy.” Community support turns overwhelm into something manageable—just as my tribe of friends turned moving‑day chaos into a love‑fest.

• Rest without guilt. Stress thrives on exhaustion. Prioritizing sleep and nourishment is not indulgent; it’s medicine.

I put down the laptop. The to‑do list didn’t disappear, but my body felt less like a battlefield. Stress will always find ways to visit; it’s our job to notice when it takes up residence in our muscles and gently show it the door. If your shoulders are creeping toward your ears right now, consider this your invitation to exhale.

About the Author | Day 140

I’m a soul-led coach, writer, mother and recovering control enthusiast who just wrapped 140 straight days of showing up here—from dropping off a mountain of luggage at an airport hotel and juggling toddler chaos with a laptop, to discovering that stress in the body is the first whisper to pause, and now, honoring a body that says “breathe” even when travel and deadlines scream “go.”

I work with overthinkers, nervous-system warriors, people who’ve been taught that rest is lazy, and anyone who has felt their body begging them to stop but didn’t know they had permission.

I believe in the power of listening to your body before it shouts, trusting that your worth isn’t tied to your productivity, and letting rest coexist with ambition. This space exists for those doing life at full speed with tender hearts, for the ones who know that slowing down—physically or energetically—is less about falling behind and more about coming home to yourself.

One gentle breath, one release of tension, one “yes” to rest at a time. ❤️