Lately, stress has been hitting me in a way that feels… different.
Maybe it’s because my son, Talon, is now wrapping up his freshman year of college. As a mom, I find myself constantly thinking about him—wondering how he’s managing his workload, hoping he’s sleeping enough, praying he feels confident during exams. I want to fix things, to help, to do something… but the truth is, I have no control over his day-to-day life anymore.
And if I’m being honest, that lack of control is stressful for me.
Add to that the rising cost of everything—groceries, gas, property taxes, insurance—and the reality of running a service-based business where I’m noticing people cutting back on things like bodywork and self-care… and it creates this low-grade, constant pressure humming in the background.
If you’ve been feeling something similar, clearly, you’re not alone. But what is stress, really? What’s actually happening inside our bodies? And what can we do about it?
Let’s take a short journey into the world of stress and how to overcome it naturally.
WHAT CAUSES STRESS?
At its core, stress isn’t just about what’s happening around you—it’s about how your brain interprets what’s happening.
Your brain is constantly scanning for potential threats. This includes obvious dangers, but also modern-day stressors like financial pressure, uncertainty, or even emotional concerns (for me that’s worrying about my son as he worries about his next exam… UGH!).
The key player here is the amygdala—your brain’s “alarm system.” When it perceives something as a threat, it sends a signal to the hypothalamus, which activates your autonomic nervous system.
From there, your body shifts into what we call the “fight or flight” response.
BODY PHYSIOLOGY
Once that stress response is triggered, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Here’s what that looks like in real time:
- Your heart rate increases
- Your breathing becomes quicker and more shallow
- Blood is redirected to your muscles (away from digestion and other “non-essential” functions)
- Blood sugar rises to give you quick energy
- Your mind becomes hyper-focused on the perceived threat
While this is incredibly helpful if you’re actually in danger, there’s a problem when you’re not. Here’s the thing, our body doesn’t know the difference between a life-threatening situation and worrying about your son’s finals… or your monthly bills.
So instead of short bursts of stress, many of us are living in a state of chronic stress.
Over time, this can lead to:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Digestive issues
- Sleep disruption
- Hormonal imbalances
- Increased inflammation
When you understand that stress is a physiological response, not a personal failure, it changes how you approach it.
You’re not “overreacting.”
Your body is responding exactly as it was designed to.
The goal isn’t to eliminate stress completely (that’s not realistic)—it’s to support your body so it can move in and out of stress more efficiently.
PRACTICAL STRESS SUPPORT
Here are a few simple, effective ways to help regulate your nervous system—and why they work:
Deep/Intentional Breathing: Slow breathing signals safety to your brain. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” state), helping lower heart rate and cortisol levels.
Movement: Movement helps metabolize stress hormones. Gentle stretching, in particular, tells your body it’s safe to release tension—something I see firsthand through my
AromaStretch sessions.
Limiting Input: When you’re already overwhelmed, constant news, social media, or even background noise can keep your nervous system activated. Creating quiet space gives your brain a break.
Prayer & Mindfulness: This is a big one for me. Prayer grounds me, shifts my perspective, and reminds me that I’m not carrying everything alone. That alone can soften the stress response.
Nourishment: Balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and whole foods help stabilize blood sugar—which directly impacts mood and stress resilience.
NATURAL, PLANT-BASED SUPPORT
In addition to these foundational practices, I also love incorporating plant-based support—and one of my go-to solutions is the
doTERRA Adaptiv® System.
Not as a magic fix (though it can certainly feel like it), but as a tool to support what your body is already trying to do.
The Adaptiv® Calming blend contains essential oils like Lavender, Wild Orange, Copaiba, Rosemary, Magnolia, Neroli and Spearmint—plants that have been traditionally used to promote calm, uplift mood, and support emotional balance.
Here’s how it works:
- Aromatically: When you inhale essential oils, they interact directly with the limbic system—the part of your brain that processes emotions and memories. This is why scent can have such a powerful, immediate effect on how you feel.
- Topically: Applied to the skin, essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream and may help support the body’s natural stress response, especially when combined with intentional breathing or grounding practices.
- Internally (the capsules only): They are processed by the liver and transported throughout the body via the bloodstream. And because essential oils are lipid-soluble, they can penetrate our cells and influence organs.
Some cool facts. Regardless of which way (aromatically, topically or internally) you use essential oils they will touch every cell in your body within about 20 minutes. Our bodies recognize the compounds, so our system knows where to send them and how to use them. Plus, because they are bioavailable, if our body doesn’t need it at that moment, it will breakdown and be eliminated – unlike synthetic solutions that can stack up inside our body which can wreak havoc and cause inflammation (aka side effects).
What I love most about Adaptiv is that it meets you where you are—whether you need a quick moment of calm, help unwinding at night, acclimating to new surroundings, or support staying centered during a busy day.
Stress is part of life—but staying stuck in it doesn’t have to be.
For me, this season has been a reminder that even when I can’t control what’s happening around me—my son’s college experience, the economy, the ups and downs of business—I can support how my body responds.
And sometimes, that looks like a deep breath.
Sometimes it’s prayer.
Sometimes it’s stretching.
And sometimes, it’s reaching for a simple, plant-based tool to help bring me back to center.
Wherever you are today, I hope this reminds you:
You’re not alone in your stress… and your body isn’t working against you—it’s working for you.
xoDanette
P.S. Aside from the Adaptiv® System that I use as needed, one of the ways I’m handling my daily stress is ensuring I’m powering my body with nutrients that it needs with
foundational wellness and
using collagen + NMN to support my brain health and more.
Shoot me a message if you want to chat about whether or not this is right for you, too.
In April 2026, you can get the ultimate Foundational Wellness Bundle + Collagen + the Adpativ System for over 45% off! FYI: outside of April 2026, I can still help you save over 25%.