BEFRIENDING STRESS As a Path Home to Ourselves WEEK 1/6 Why care about STRESS?!
Mar 02, 2026
Welcome to Week 1!
A 6 Week Series on BEFRIENDING STRESS As a Path Home to Ourselves.
Let me first by sharing a possible common experience.. and a compassionate reminder.
You are more than your current story.
There is something in your life that feels out of balance..
Maybe it's a racing mind, not allowing you to slow down. Driving you to exhaustion. Distractions and busyness, blocking you from focusing on the one area of your life you know you have to double down and concentrate on to make progress.
Does it feel like you are always on the go, do you feel guilty when you allow yourself to slow down?
Or maybe you re experiencing self judgement, self doubt, and social comparison, that's stalling you, and making you procrastinate every time you have an urge to create something of your own.
Do you find yourself bound up by all the stories of why you can't, before you even give yourself a chance to get started?
Does another part of you then criticize you for why you can't just start without having it all figured it out?
We all have a crux, a ceiling, an inner block, an unhelpful pattern that keeps showing up and is getting in the way of us doing the thing WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO.
But as much as our conscious mind has ambitions to change.
SOMETHING ELSE, is sabotaging us from actually doing it.
Breathe.
You are normal.
You are human.
I am with you. I am also on my own conscious curriculum.
This is a permission slip to be whole and complete, broken and a work in progress.
Here is the biggest block I find when it comes to Behaviour CHANGE.
What stops us from change, is often the comparison trap of feeling we are supposed to be somewhere other than where we are.
The comparison trap that's not allowing you to slow down, and listen to your life, is the lie.
When we accept that we were put on this planet to walk our own growth, healing, and self expression journey. That's when we step off the comparison track and into the honesty of our life.
What I learned is in order to change..
not the everyday things,
the projects, and tasks, we can grind our way through, use self criticism, self shame, and rigid discipline our way to the finish line.
I've relied on that approach for most of my life, and it works, until it doesn't.
What I am more curious on is what it takes to ACTUALLY CHANGE our BEHAVIOUR in the areas of our life that are most sticky.
The pattern that just won't go away. The feeling that just keeps coming back, no matter how hard we try..
The burning goal, or project that's eating at you, but you keep putting it off saying not now, someday, maybe..
These are the changes, I am inviting you to hold curiosity about through stepping onto the path of your own Conscious Curriculum.
The path of humility to take responsibility for how we may be contributing to our stuckness.
Using your stress
Your resistance
Your conflict
Your tension, your tightness
as a trailhead towards your truth, and untapped potential.
Throughout this 6 week Series I am inviting you to step off the comparison track and choose to enter onto your own path of the Conscious Curriculum.
We will be focusing on UNDERSTANDING our STRESS RESPONSE as a way of moving towards greater Stress Resilience & Self Leadership in the areas of our life that are most STUBBORN.
We are going to explore different ways we can meet, tend to, and befriend how STRESS (or the sympathetic Fear Response) is the most common block to us slowing down, and acting into a place of inner alignment and personal power towards are most meaningful and value aligned goals.
What I've stumbled through in my own search for a REAL felt experience of inner peace, and a grounded sense of freedom, is no matter how much I strive to find a sense of lasting fulfilment in our external world, it seems to have a magician like quality in eluding us for any prolonged state of satiation.
Instead I've had life open me to see and realize that nothing outside of me will change the inner state of my wellbeing for any prolonged amount of time.
EVERYTHING. Is an Inside / Out game.
I have learned, if I don't learn to create a sense of inner peace inside of me, no external environment can fill that void for any length of time more than a short glimpse.
If I don't learn to create a sense of self acceptance, and self love inside, no partner, relationship, family member, or friend can possibly be asked to continually pour into that cup.
Now you might be thinking.. that sounds like a lot of self RESPONSIBILITY.
and Yes. You are Correct. It is.
BUT there is caveat;
It get's easier.
It's not as burdensome as your current state is feeling.
You see most of us are conditioned through a lifetime of external judgement, criticism, childhood trauma, and un asked for pain that taught us to live in a closed hearted state of self protection, where we default to a protective state of who's energy we let in.
As we take back autonomy for our state we grow an inner reservoir of intrinsic safety, and self regulation. In doing so we learn the skills to balance our boundaries and gradually open ourselves, and our hearts more fully to the love that is all around us.
With time, and patience; process and practice, we grow the capacity to make Self LED, conscious choices to design and build our lives in ways that our external environment is feeding us energy, instead of draining us of energy.
In this experience, just as much as we can create empowering energies from the inside / out, we also have the open hearted space to let in the love, support, joy, laughter, and companionship of the people, world, and nature around us.
This is how in following the humble path and conscious curriculum of self healing we see a compounding return on investment, each layer of healing, and release giving us more access to heart space, self compassion, and a NEW CAPACITY to open ourselves to the love that is all around us.
So now that you have an idea of the POSSIBILITY on the other side of choosing the path of Self Curiosity, and self learning.
What to Expect for the 6 Week BEFRIENDING STRESS as a Path Home to Ourselves.
OVERVIEW:
Week 1 |
WHY CARE ABOUT STRESS?
IS CHRONIC STRESS (FEAR) the real PANDEMIC IN MODERN DAY SOCIETY?
Week 2 |
WHAT EXACTLY IS STRESS?
WHAT IS A STRESSOR?
WHAT IS OUR BALANCED AND HEALTHY STRESS RESPONSE?
WHAT IS TOO MUCH STRESS?
Week 3 |
WHAT IS STRESS IN THE MINDBODY SYSTEM?
WHY DO WE NEED OUR HEALTHY STRESS RESPONSE?
HOW DOES OUR STRESS RESPONSE HELP US?
Week 4 |
WHAT IS STRESS IN THOUGHTS, THINKING, MIND & EGO?
Week 5 |
WHAT IS STRESS IN BEHAVIOUR?
HOW DOES OUR STRESS RESPONSE SHOW UP IN HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY COPING STRATEGIES around potential pain, and discomfort?
Week 6 |
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
8 L's of LIFE LEADERSHIP as A TOOLKIT for STRESS RESILIENCE.
TRANSFORMING DISTRESS into manageable and PURPOSE INSPIRED EUSTRESS.
We are together now, so if you are ready, let's dive into Week 1!
Now before we start, I don't want to spark a further compounding of fear mongering, so my invitation is to enter this journey from a place of genuine curiosity, as a way increasing AWARENESS.
Initially "parts" may feel overwhelmed, learning about the experience of Stress. So please tend to your own system, and needs as you feel necessary. Return to the Blog when you are in a regulated and balanced place and perspective.
AWARENESS is the FIRST step in giving us back our AUTONOMY to have a felt sense of CHOICE, and control over how to be with our Stress in new more healthy, and helpful ways.
Week 1 |
WHY CARE ABOUT STRESS?
IS CHRONIC STRESS (FEAR) the real PANDEMIC IN MODERN DAY SOCIETY?
STRESS STATISTICS AROUND THE GLOBE
WHY care about STRESS!?
Through my own healing journey, and the pain I've endured suffering with my sinuses..
I am speaking from a first hand experience of how life (often time imbalanced STRESS), can show us, or abruptly wake us up, to what is NO LONGER WORKING.
I personally feel my sinus struggle has been a painful awakening to how my imbalanced choices kept me in constant doing mode. Not allowing myself to slow down and listen to my body, that has brought me through this suffering.
I don't regret my journey, though I really don't wish it on anyone.
It's the reason and underlying Why behind why this work has become so interesting to me.
It was first and foremost to get clarity and healing in my own health, but in doing so I've found a practice of "PARTS WORK", a form of SOMATIC SHADOW WORK, that really is helping me find balance with my sinuses in a healing way.
I am not perfectly cured, but I understand changing chronic patterns and pain most likely is formed from a developmental process and may need time to be undeveloped or unlearned.
So I am walking the path with you guys, perhaps a few steps ahead in this arena of working with stress, and happy to have found something that is giving me relief and a promising path forward.
Once I started learning about Stress as a possible contributor to my unanswerable symptoms from a number of professionals, experts, and doctors.
I started opening up my awareness WHAT STRESS ACTUALLY IS, and how DEEPLY it is intertwined with every aspect of our existence. Including our ability to convert nutrients and oxygen to energy, act, do, move, respond, adapt, and create things in our life.
Stress in it's healthy state, is our ADAPTIVE STRESS RESPONSE to activate our energy, in the face of an external resistance, or need to act on or change our surroundings.
Without our Stress response, we simply wouldn't be here as a species.
STRESS is not bad.
Imbalanced, Overused, and CHRONIC stress is contributing to the deterioration of health, and slow death of many un noticing bodies.
I feel NOW, more than ever, is our Time to WAKE UP, and listen closer to our bodies, and our life.
Throughout this 6 Week Series we are going to JOURNEY TOGETHER to explore STRESS in GRANULAR DETAIL.
All with the intention of not pushing away our DISTRESS, but inviting it in, understanding it, befriending it, and being in relationship to it in a new ways. Ways that we can balance it, or even transform it into EUSTRESS as a source of meaning, and purpose in an empowering way.
IS CHRONIC STRESS (FEAR) the real PANDEMIC IN MODERN DAY SOCIETY?
Chronic Stress, Over Activation or Dysregulation of our Nervous System seems to be the norm of modern day society.
To be honest, I didn't even know what these terms meant when I was at the peak of my stress and responsibilities working in Project Management with a team building townhome developments.
In hindsight, I was operating in drastic states of imbalance, simply because I knew no different.
It looked normal, everyone around me was over there eyeballs in stress, mental busyness, and over activity.
Evolving Demographic and homebuyer needs, new marketplace competitors, shifting sales target deadlines, material shortages, tariffs, and logistical complexities. Large Involved contracts, multiple party negotiations and problem solving, Weather delays, quality deficiencies and all that comes with multi discipline brick and mortar construction.
That is just one minute sliver and fraction of the Global State of stress being shared across many different workforces, industries, institutions, and individual families navigating the modern world.
I feel perhaps because it is becoming so "Normalized", It is easy to push off, dismiss, or downplay it as "JUST THE WAY IT IS."
Everyone's facing the same problem.
They have enough of there own struggles.
Why should anyone care what I am feeling?
I don't want to add to the collective burden.
AND, it's not only the sheer volume, and normalization of Stress that contributes to a silent society.
The fact that Stress is a not a direct function and universal experience of the external environment, rather it is a uniquely subjective experience based on our own nervous systems learned strategies for dealing with different uncomfortable emotions, feelings, and uncertainties. This further contributes to individual self judgement, and concerns with whether there experience is worthy of being expressed and shared..
So we bottle it in, suck it up, and struggle through.
This is exactly how the over self reliant mind and inner narrative story plays out that we default to, in the very times we are craving for connection and shared support. Now is the time we need to speak up, ask for help, and show compassion for the difficulties that one another are facing in the current economic, technology, and political environment.
Seeking Connection, doesn't make us a victim to our life, it makes us Human. It contributes to healthy Co regulation and offers us shared resourcefulness in times of challenge.
WHAT ARE THE STRESS STATS AROUND THE WORLD?
I won't overwhelm you with Stress Statistics, but I will share a few resources as to you where I found insightful information on the state of Global Stress.
Feel free to explore at your own leisure:
Stress in Health and Research
American Psychological Association (APA) – Stress in America
• Annual reports on national stress trends, including workplace stress, financial stress, and mental health impacts.
Since 2007 to Present day, the American Psychological Association (APA) has commissioned an annual nationwide survey as part of its Mind/Body Health campaign to examine the state of stress across the country and understand its impact.
The Stress in America survey measures attitudes and perceptions of stress among the general public and identifies leading sources of stress, common behaviours used to manage stress and the impact of stress on our lives.
The results of the survey draw attention to the serious physical and emotional implications of stress and the inextricable link between the mind and body.
From 2007 to 2025, the research has documented this connection among the general public as well as various sub-segments of the public.
Each year, the Stress in America surveys aims to uncover different aspects of the stress/health connection via focusing on a particular topic and/or subgroup of the population. Below is a list of the focus of each of the Stress in America surveys.
2007-2025 Cumulative Dataset
2007 General Population
2008 Gender and Stress
2009 Parent Perceptions of Children's Stress
2010 Health Impact of Stress on Children and Families
2011 Our Health Risk
2012 Missing the Health Care Connection
2013 Are Teens Adopting Adults' Stress Habits
2014 Paying With Our Health
2015 The Impact of Discrimination
2016 Coping with Change, Part 1
2016 Coping with Change, Part 2: Technology and Social Media
2017 The State of Our Nation
2018 Stress and Generation Z's
2019-2023 Cumulative Dataset
2019 Stress and Current Events
2020 COVID Tracker Wave 1
2020 COVID Tracker Wave 2
2020 COVID Tracker Wave 3
2020 A National Mental Health Crisis
2021 Pandemic Anniversary Survey
2021 Stress and Decision-Making During the Pandemic
2022 Pandemic Anniversary Survey
2022 Concerned for the Future, Beset by Inflation
2023–2025: Chronic Trauma & Disconnection:
Recent reports indicate a "nation recovering from collective trauma" (2023) and a "crisis of connection" (2025). Key trends include:
Loneliness: By 2025, 54% of adults felt isolated, 50% left out, and 50% lacked companionship.
Societal Division: In 2025, 62% reported societal division as a major stressor.
Technology & AI: Stress related to AI (57%) and misinformation (69%) spiked significantly between 2024 and 2025.
American Institute of Stress (AIS)
• Deep dive into workplace stress, burnout statistics, and employer interventions.
The Stress Research Institute (Stockholm University)
• International research on chronic stress and burnout.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Mental health and stress-related statistics, including workplace stress and stress-related illnesses.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Data on stress, anxiety, depression, and related disorders in the U.S.
National Library of Medicine (NLM) – PubMed
• Research papers on stress, anxiety, and burnout from peer-reviewed journals.
Harvard Center on the Developing Child
• Research on childhood stress and long-term emotional development.
Stress in Industry Reports
Gallup – Global Stress & Emotions Report
• Measures daily stress levels in the U.S. and worldwide.
• Studies on stress, societal pressures, work-life balance, and financial concerns.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – Work-Related Stress Data
• Reports on job-related stress, burnout, and workplace well-being.
Through my own personal readings and takeaways the…
MOST COMMON STRESSORS, & PERSONAL PAINS in 2025?
Top 4 most common stressors in North America are related to:
Affordability, financial struggle
and
Strain on mental/physical health.
Stress related to:
FINANCIAL STABILITY, SECURITY, COST OF LIVING
Financial challenges in housing, living affordability, and debt.
Debt burden (credit-card, student loans, medical debt, lack of emergency savings). Many feel they lack a financial cushion for emergencies or future costs.
Money remains the #1 stressor for Americans. Many people report being financially stressed, pointing to inflation and rising costs of essentials as the main cause.
Concerns of job loss, class split, contributing to economic disparity and inequality.
In Canada 42 % cited money as their biggest stressor (inflation, housing, groceries, utilities, essentials).
MENTAL PEACE / HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Health concerns (personal & family)
From health care access to worries about illness/aging, this remains a major stressor.
Work-related stress (workload, hours, burnout). .
Heavy workloads, high expectations, tight deadlines, and blurred boundaries continue to rank high.
Work encroaches into home/life, many struggle with balancing obligations and “downtime”.
Less stated, but still very relevant common Stress concerns in recent years:
SAFETY / CRIME / VIOLENCE
Concerns about crime and violence have risen and are among the top worries globally in 2025.
Political climate / current events / social unrest. Angst around elections, social divisions, global conflicts, and the news environment weigh heavily. Exposure to global warfare / conflict.
EMOTIONAL / SOCIAL / RELATIONSHIPS
Social connection / isolation / aloneness / mental health.
Feelings of anxiety, worry and inadequate social support are growing issues.
Social media comparison through increased exposure.
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
Micro/Macro aggressions as stressors. Discrimination, Separation of / or further contributing towards;
Minorities, Marginalized communities based on Social, Racial, Gender, Socio Economic class, Ability, Weight/Looks.
Leading to Disparities and, inequalities. Limiting equal opportunity and blocking, or making difficult overall safety, inclusion, belonging, being left behind, challenging entry barriers, immigration, & job loss.
OVERALL UNCERTAINTY / UNKNOWN, WORRY
Overall Uncertainty, unrest (Body craves homeostasis, when it doesn’t have that it’s fearful.)
Uncertainty about the future and the direction of society.
Rapid pace of change. New technology, Advancements in AI/ Tech, and fears of Job loss.
Gender roles and responsibility evolutions.
Notable Stress Stats of 2025:
83% of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, making it nearly ubiquitous in the workplace.
52% of employees felt burned out in the past year due to their job.
71% of Gen Z and 59% of Millennials struggle significantly with workplace wellā€‘being, far higher than older generations.
77% of people regularly experience physical symptoms from stress—headaches, tension, digestive issues, etc.
It's estimated Stress contributes to 60% of all human illness and disease and accounts for 70% of doctor visits.
A quarter of Americans experience burnout before age 30, with Gen Z and millennials reaching peak stress by ~25ā€Æyears old.
73% of women take on others’ emotional burdens and stress—often hiding struggles—averaging 5–6 hours of stress per day.
An astonishing 85% of workers have felt burnout and exhaustion from job-related stress; nearly half (47%) took time off, while many concealed the mental health reason to avoid stigma or career impact.
Nearly 60% of people globally report feeling stressed or overwhelmed on a regular basis, underscoring the pervasive nature of chronic stress worldwide.
The economic toll of poor mental health—including stress and burnout—is estimated at $1 trillion annually in lost productivity worldwide.
About 75% of mental health conditions begin by age 24, emphasizing early exposure to stress and its long-term impacts.
60% of adult individuals with mental health issues do not seek help, largely due to stigma, fear, or lack of access—compounding stress and suffering.
On a more general level Chronic Stress robs and steals from us of a what I see as the 3 Pillars of Fulfilment, and the 5 P's of Wholehearted Living.
3 PILLARS OF FULFILLMENT
Mental, & Physical Health and Wellbeing
Quality Relationships
Meaningful Work
5 P's of WHOLEHEARTED LIVING
Peace in mind.
Physical Health, Balance, Vitality in body.
Presence, connection, intimacy in relationships, our hobbies/play, and to life, nature, and the world around us.
Progress and the autonomy, choice, and ability to make meaningful growth, and change in our life.
Purpose in creative works that we feel called to, engaged in, and in alignment with our hearts values and inspirations.
My hopes is throughout this series in bringing more conscious awareness to how our stress responses show up in us, we can make more heart connected, self compassionate and value aligned choices to move in the direction back towards experiencing more of these 3 Pillars, and 5 P's of Wholehearted Living.
Now that you have an overview of some of the shared stressors that are being experienced in recent years across different provinces, states, and countries.
I am inviting you to explore through a journaling exercise, what major stressors feel at the forefront of your current experience.
EXERCISE | Self Reflections - STRESS INVENTORY
Through a lens of compassionate curiosity. I welcome you in whichever journalling format works for your parts..
1. Journal 3 areas of life that you are currently feeling an experience of stress around.
It may be around the contexts of personal or family Health, Relationships, Work, Business, Vacation Planning, Upcoming events, Global uncertainties, recent Injuries, Losses or grief.
2. For each of the 3 Stressful experiences, stay curious 1 layer deeper about what this part or parts are most concerned may happen?
What feeling are they most wanting to avoid in managing this stressor?
In this new awareness, is there room to offer understanding for how the stress response is doing it's best to help?
3. BONUS
From this new place of awareness and understanding.
Journal 1 small action that you feel you have the capacity to offer this particular concern, part/stress in how it is asking for support.
It may involve simply being with the part that is concerned and offering it non judgemental compassion, understanding, and appreciation.
You made it to the end of Week 1. Nice work!
If you are curious to learn what is is possible in deepening your connection with Stressed or over protective parts and what they may be struggling with. I welcome and encourage you to Schedule a 1on1 Discovery Call. We can hear from your parts and explore together in what they may be wanting support in.
Join Me Next Week!
For Week 2 of the Series BEFRIENDING STRESS As a Path Home to Ourselves.
Where we will explore more.. WHAT EXACTLY IS STRESS?
Wishing you renewed capacity to be with your whole human experience.
In Spirit and support,
Greg
