Everyday Habits to Soothe Stress and Support Health
How balanced is your life right now? How balanced do you feel?
Stress has a far greater impact on our health and wellbeing than many people realise. It can shape everything from our energy levels to our digestion, mood, immunity, and even how well we sleep. In this blog, we’ll explore how stress works in the body, why finding balance is so important, and how you can start supporting your nervous system daily with simple but powerful practices.
Stress in the Modern World
In today’s busy, always-connected lifestyle, most of us are in a near-constant state of “responding to threat.” It’s not lions and tigers chasing us anymore though, now it's work emails, social media notifications, whatsapps, endless to-do lists, financial pressures, and being contactable 24/7. Sound familiar?
Our biology hasn’t quite caught up with modern life, and this constant stimulation leaves many people spending the majority of their waking hours in “fight or flight” (stress) mode.
Stress + Your Nervous System
To understand why stress is so draining, let’s zoom in on your nervous system.
Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) has two key branches:
1)The Sympathetic nervous system (SNS): controls “fight or flight”, your survival mode.
2) The Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS): controls “rest and digest”, your recovery and healing mode.
Both are essential, but balance is key.
The SNS was designed for short bursts of danger, a quick spike of adrenaline and cortisol to get you out of harm’s way, followed by a return to calm. But when the SNS is constantly switched on, as it is for so many of us today, it takes a huge toll.
Chronic stress burns through essential nutrients such as magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin C, and zinc.
Chronic stress also:
>> Raises blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate.
>> Puts digestion, immunity, and reproductive health on pause (since they’re “non-essential” in survival mode).
>> Interferes with sleep by keeping the brain alert and cortisol levels high.
In the past, this response was only triggered occasionally, say, when fleeing from a tiger, and then it switched off. But today’s modern stressors are constant, which means our ‘fight or flight’ mode can end up switched on far too often, if not chronically.
Over time, this imbalance can lead to fatigue, inflammation, hormone disruption, digestive issues, and even burnout.
Ever Felt “Tired But Wired”?
That feeling of exhaustion but not being able to switch off at night is a classic sign of an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system.
In ancestral times, stress was short-lived, a chase, a fight, a moment of danger, and afterwards, the body reset itself. Today, many people experience more stress activation in a single day than our ancestors did in an entire year. No wonder our systems are overwhelmed!
Finding Balance
The good news is that your body is always trying to return to balance, and you can support it!
When you actively switch on your rest and digest mode, your body:
>> Conserves nutrients instead of burning through them.
>> Enhances digestion and absorption.
>> Repairs tissues and reduces inflammation.
>> Strengthens immunity.
>> Improves sleep quality and hormone balance.
Isn't that amazing?
And it’s never too late to start supporting this and finding balance.
You can encourage this shift through daily, restorative habits like:
>> Deep breathing (we love 4:6 ratio breathing) or meditation (just 2–5 minutes makes a difference).
>> Gentle practices such as Yin yoga, restorative yoga, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong.
>> Walks in nature – green spaces help lower cortisol naturally.
>> Journaling or creative activities that allow your mind to slow down.
>> Short naps or quiet rest breaks.
>> Nutrient-rich foods and drinks (think healthy fats, leafy greens and colourful vegetables, citrus fruits, berries, and calming herbal teas).
Our award-winning ZEN juice is designed to help your body handle stress with ease, combining anti-inflammatory turmeric, vitamin C-rich lemons and apples to fight oxidative stress, plus soothing aloe vera to calm and support your gut. Order yours to your door here.
Even five minutes a day spent deliberately activating your parasympathetic nervous system can help you feel calmer, more centred, and better able to cope with life’s challenges.
A Nourishing Note
Stress is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to run the show. When you nourish your nervous system with calming practices and replenishing nutrients, you’ll build resilience, restore balance, and protect your long-term health.
What’s one small habit you can bring into your day today? Start simple, stay consistent, and let balance gradually return.
