While short-term stress can be helpful, chronic stress is toxic. Prolonged exposure to high cortisol levels harms your immune system, gut, and heart, increasing the risk of serious illness. This post explores why recognising limits, letting go of the impossible, and choosing rest isn’t weakness, but wisdom. Stress is a signal, not a flaw. When we learn to listen, we don’t just survive, but protect our health and reclaim our strength.

Fidgeting, overeating, nail-biting — these behaviours aren’t flaws. They’re the body’s early stress signals, offering a chance to respond with compassion. Backed by research like Damasio’s somatic marker theory, this blog explores how noticing these signs — in ourselves or our children — can spark connection and healing. Stress isn’t the enemy; disconnection is. When we respond with empathy and curiosity, we turn stress into a shared strength. Let’s learn to listen — and lean